


Aurora

by actualsaii



Series: Aurora [1]
Category: ATEEZ (Band), K-pop, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate History, Alternate Universe - BTS World, Alternate Universe - Mythology, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Ancient History, BTS AU, Demon Kim line, I wrote this four years ago and now I remembered and I'm trying to rewrite bear with me pls, Mentions of psychical disorders, Minor Character Death, Multi, Mythology References, Taehyung might be a bit manic, Urban Fantasy, Vampire Park Jimin (BTS), Vampires, Witches, but they are good guys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:27:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 85,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22791706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/actualsaii/pseuds/actualsaii
Summary: When witches found out about the Prophecy, they weren't excited. And when the new threat came to London, forging its alliance with the demon family of Kims, things got even worse. But those witches aren't weak. They won't go down without a fight. Witches. Vampires. Werewolves. Demons. And the 18th century in London. The city will be claimed soon and someone is going to be hurt really badly.
Relationships: Choi San/Original Female Character(s), Jung Hoseok | J-Hope/Kim Namjoon | RM, Kim Taehyung | V/Original Female Character(s), Love triangle later haha, Min Yoongi | Suga/Original Female Character(s), Park Jimin (BTS)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Aurora [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1828435
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

It was late autumn, therefore very annoying weather for every creature that decided to live in London. But even though the weather sucked an ass, streets were full. People were wandering from shop to shop, street vendors were yelling, offering the latest and finest products they were able to smug from the Continent. And people were buying. Most of the stuff was overpriced, but their British nature didn’t mind. That was something the young girl, passing the narrow street full of stalls, didn’t understand. Why would you spend such an amount of money on something that you probably didn’t even need? Plus, it was overpriced as heck.

“Humankind has always been stupid. I’m so glad I’m not one of them,” she murmured under her breath, making the girl walking right beside her chuckle. The two of them decided to visit the market that was right around the corner. Unfortunately for them, there was no shortcut, they had to pass the narrow street none of them liked.

“It keeps surprising me how much you despise human beings. We are the closest ones to them, yet you keep on hating them so much. Must have been hurt really badly in the past,” the other one smirked, teasing her friend in a sister-like manner.

“If I were you, I’d keep my mouth shut. I’m really not in a mood today, sister,” the older one almost hissed the last word through her teeth. She realized she probably acted like a little spoiled brat, knowing that her younger companion didn’t deserve any of her shit. But lately, the city was getting on her nerves and the upcoming gathering of witches wasn’t any of help either.

Because under the layer of ordinary mundane living in London, there was another caste. A part of the world that was special, remarkable even. Hidden from the eyes of the mundane - only the chosen one knew. Mostly, it was people with a lot of money - those, who could buy themselves a little bit of magic. Not that it happened often. Witches of London hated providing the mortal ones with their gifts. Even though they paid well.

Witches, vampires, werewolves and only god knows what else. Those were creatures walking the busy streets of London without anyone noticing or suspecting. Hiding in plain sight, living their lives to the fullest. Not that it was a beautiful life, that was not true. They have been hunted by the old families, those who hated them for centuries. They were hunted like wild animals, their heads and raptured hearts reminding more of trophies. Hunters paraded themselves, collecting heart after heart, racing who would be the best in the world.

And witches hated them for that. Vampires and werewolves probably did, too.

But demons?

No one knew. No one even dared to talk about demons. They weren’t born from this humankind. They came straight from the hell, forming another caste of London.

Back in the 15th century, there was a Preacher. Nobody remembered his name; he wasn’t important for human history. He was a simple man, fulfilling his daily duty in the church. But there was one thing that made this man special - he knew about the outer world, about the magically gifted creatures that blended in the mundane world. He let them live, though. He was a man of his faith, believing in _live and let live_ motto. But the one thing he couldn’t stand, couldn’t let live, were demons. They were everything but living creatures. He saw them as parasites, living off people’s life energy. With his knowledge, he prepared everything that was needed to ban them from London.

It wasn’t an easy task. And it cost him the highest sacrifice - his own life.

Yet, demons were back, occupying the streets of London. It was only three of them, but they were more than enough with their kind of power. How was it possible, only creatures knew. Humans possessed magic, but only a tiny little bit. The Preacher’s magic might have expelled demons, but it wasn’t unbreakable.

The young air-bound witch didn’t know why such a memory suddenly popped up in her mind, but she didn’t pay any more attention to it as they finally approached the market. It looked exactly the same as the narrow street full of stalls did - aka people were yelling and offering products, but those were homemade.

And full of magic.

“Informant on the third hour. Do we need him today?” Serah asked, her posture completely changing once her eyes laid on a stall with talismans that were supposed to protect people against the jinx. Jinx was her field and she was often fascinated by mortals’ ways of protecting themselves against such a thing.

“Sun is not with us today and I don’t have such amount of money on me now. You know how sneaky he is; he only plays with his chosen one. I’m not interested in that vampire’s drama.”

“True, let’s just get what we came for,” Serah nodded, walking in a direction of a stall with talismans, which definitely wasn’t something they came for, but who the hell cared, right? Sage only shook her head, heading the opposite side, visiting a stall with herbs and homemade potions. Those were weak in their nature, but still helpful for easy charms like healing the wounds or stopping the migraine from growing stronger. She chose a few flasks, paying with the leftover coins she had in her purse. Looking at the old lady standing by the stall, Sage decided to give her more money - even though she herself didn’t have much. The old lady thanked her, immediately reaching for young witch’s hand. Sage dodged her touch, a scoff playing over her young and immortal features. She hated it when someone she didn’t know intended to touch her. Mainly when it came to mortals.

“Have a nice day, young lady,” the old woman bid her the last farewell, shifting her attention to another customer. Sage moved to another stall, still having in mind the old lady who just simply wanted to touch her hand, probably hold her as a thanks. But something in her made her move, turn away from the woman that reminded her of someone she knew decades ago.

It both took them almost an hour to get everything they needed - and wanted, in Serah’s case. She couldn’t just leave the market without getting one of those talismans - that probably didn’t work as Sage remarked. Serah just waved her off, ready to leave when her eyes caught something, well, rather someone, wandering through the crowd. Said person was tall, shadowing everyone else as he was wearing a long coat with a hood covering a good half of his face. It wouldn’t be anything strange if there wasn’t a magical gleam lingering around him like a halo.

A halo from hell.

Witches called it the aurora, werewolves simply called it a gleam.

And vampires called that bullshit.

Serah immediately stopped in the middle of the crowd, pulling on Sage’s own coat just to stop her. Her fellow air-bound witch gasped for some breath in a moment her eyes laid on the man.

At least she thought he was a man.

A woman this tall couldn’t just walk the streets of London unnoticed.

“Do you think that it’s…” Serah started, but she didn’t even have to. The creature turned to them, his lips curled in a smug smirk. It almost seemed like he heard them; or at least read their minds. He removed the hood, exposing his shining green eyes. His black hair reached his shoulders, curling around like a pair of snakes. He was staring at them, shamelessly.

“He acts like the whole world is revolving around him. Come on, we should go. There’s no time for us to get involved with this demon,” Sage said, tugging on Serah’s coat, trying to catch her attention. But there was no use for that, Serah was staring back, her eyes burning almost as if she wanted to run through the crowd of innocent people and rip the demon’s heart out. At least Sage thought so. What was happening in her sister’s head only Serah knew.

“How come he is so brave to show his face just like this? I thought those demons are sworn to live in hiding. Not parading themselves out here just like… that.”

“Only Namjoon does so, and you know that.”

“Yeah, that’s why it’s strange. We barely see the other two brothers out there. It’s always Kim Namjoon. Not his youngest brother.”

“Woah, someone here did her research, didn’t she?” Sage raised her brow, giving her companion one odd look. It wasn’t a secret. The Kim family moved to London in early 18th century, disturbing the Congress to the point, one of the members had been sent to calm the situation. Werewolves were okay with the devilish creatures living in the capital of the supernatural world. Vampires were as well - even though some of the Dhampir ones protested, for a while.

But witches?

Those women were furious.

Dye fought so hard against the Kim family living in _her_ city. The three demons moved into an abandoned residence near Greenwich. It wouldn’t be a problem if the residence wasn’t so close to the outskirts of the Forest of Forbidden. She simply didn’t like the idea of some poor demons snooping around her place of interest.

And the Old Crone wasn’t excited as well.

“Come on, we should go. We are already late. And you know that the Queen doesn’t like it when any of us is late. Oh, my sweet lord, just come on already. You got what you wanted, now it’s time to leave.”

***

Silence lingered over the residence, only the scribbling sound of the pen against the paper disturbed the otherwise peaceful noon. Namjoon sat in his office, writing one of those letters that has been supposed to be sent like a week ago. Most of the time, he was a responsible man, doing his job properly, which earned him a place of a silent companion in the Congress. No one knew. Not even his brothers. For a while, he considered telling Seokjin, he seemed like a trustworthy person, but then he changed his mind.

As always.

He had to be careful. Many things happened - most of them ugly, almost hideous. But he did everything he could, just to protect his brothers. Of course, both of them fought him really hard, saying they didn't need his protection - when, in real, they really did. They were just too proud to admit such a thing.

With those thoughts, Namjoon finished writing the letter, folding it neatly when he was sure the ink on the paper had already dried. He secured the letter in the drawer, making sure it was locked before he left his office. His work for today was done and he was basically free - which meant he will move his ass to the study, rereading one of the books he had already read. But once he stepped into the grandiose hallway, an odd feeling attacked his senses. Subconsciously, he was used to feel the energy of his brothers fleeting through the residence, filling it. Time to time, it was almost choking him when one of them wasn't feeling well - or when they were simply enraged by something.

The nature of demons has always been vague.

Right now, he only felt Seokjin's energy, lingering somewhere on the second floor, probably wandering from one room to another, murmuring under his breath how done he was with this goddamn city. He was the one who protested against moving to London, wanting nothing more but to stay in Norway, their last stop before England. It was a place far away from everything living and breathing, therefore they could live in peace.

But they were demons.

They needed the big city life.

Or at least something busier than a little village with fifteen inhabitants, in grand total.

But what was off wasn’t Seokjin’s usual complaining. It was the absence of his younger brother.

“I'm going to fucking murder him, not even his own mother is going to find him in hell,” Namjoon shamelessly murmured under his breath when he ran upstairs, bumping into his older brother. Seokjin only gave him a look, scoffing right after.

“You know, Joonie, you can't actually kill Taehyung. He will come back. Maybe even more mad and manic than he already is. Give that boy a little bit of freedom,” Seokjin said, completely unbothered by the fact that his youngest brother left the residence without a single word.

While he wasn't supposed to.

Not in his state of mind.

“We can't afford another step in a wrong direction. You know he is uncontrollable once he steps outside. You, among all the others, should know the best what kind of power we are able to wield. And how dangerous it might be once we lose control over ourselves.”

Seokjin was about to tell his brother something - probably with an utter intention to send his smart ass straight to the hell, or just to go fuck himself - when they both heard the creak of the front door. In that moment, it was only a matter of seconds both of them appeared downstairs, their youngest brother standing there as if nothing happened.

“Did something happen, brothers? You look extremely pissed.”

Not a single book ever written was wordy enough to contain and explain the rage blazing through Namjoon's insides.

“Where have you been?”

“Shopping,” Taehyung shrugged his shoulder, not really grasping the situation. Why, in actual hell, were his brothers acting like he has just caused a worldwide conflict?

“See? He was only shopping. Nothing bad happened.”

“Actually, I met a witch. Well, witches. I think they belong to the coven of London. The one you tried to spy on when he moved in here,” Taehyung shrugged his shoulder again, pure innocence written all over his face. Yet, the said innocence didn't really reach his eyes. Those were shining with excitement and something wicked behind that all.

The espionage Taehyung mentioned wasn't something Namjoon was so proud of. He really tried to be on good terms with the Congress, hoping that this small step will bring demons into the world of supernatural. Honestly, he didn’t like the way they were treated. The other creatures saw them as sons and daughters of pure evil, coming from pits of the hell. Which was true, but anyway, he was a good guy. At least he tried to be one.

Meaning, he wasn't using his powers that often.

He despised them, even.

But that didn't mean his brothers acted the same. As much as he wished to be a role model for them, he was still the middle brother, powerless to show them the right way.

“Did they see you?” Seokjin asked, his face reminding more of a statue. He was the one who didn't fancy showing any emotions.

“Of course. One of them was staring as if she wanted to burn a hole into my head. Too bad she wasn't a fire witch. I think she was more of a water type. But I'm not really sure. I should have stayed longer,” he cursed himself internally, passing his brothers by as if nothing really happened. He aimed for his room, completely unbothered. It seemed like he had one of his better days. When he could freely roam the outer world without the possibility of hurting someone.

Either he intended to or not.

Seokjin gave Namjoon a look, the one when you are not sure whether the other person was thinking you are insane or just a little bit crazy.

Or both.

Preferably both.

“Joon--”

“Yeah?”

“He is alright. Ever since we came to London, nothing bad happened. We left it all behind, in Norway. I think-- I think it really cured him out there.”

“You said he is still manic. Minutes ago, Seokjin. His state of mind is incurable, and you know that. He is just having the brighter time of his life, but it's only a matter of time he falls down the pit again. Who will be there for him if not us?” Namjoon let the worries coat him, clutching the beating heart in his chest, digging its nails deeper and deeper until he felt the good old brush of panic.

“I've never said we wouldn't be there for him. We are and we will. But he is not a little child to be trapped in a golden cage of this disgusting house you call our new home. He needs to think on his own, he needs to know what's good and what's bad. Let him decide on his own. And if he burns, then be it. We will be there to heal him.”

No wonder Seokjin was the oldest brother, the wisest one. He barely spoke, but when he did, even Namjoon stayed silent, only listening to his brother's words. He would be stupid to oppose Seokjin's words, knowing, deep in his shattering soul, that he was right. Taehyung had a primary right to live his life by his own rules.

Just please, dear lord, up or down there, don't make him kill another innocent creature.

***

What first seemed as a nice day turned into an annoying piece of crap. Those were the thoughts that ran through Sage's mind when she finally reached the small building hidden within bigger ones. Witches found it in the early 17th century and decided to move their coven there. Of course, all of them had their own small homes, but this one served as a sanctuary, a safe haven for each of them.

It also served as a place of a meeting when there was something important to discuss. Like today. Dye popped in their minds out of blue, unexpected and in some cases, really unwelcomed. The air-bound witch hated when the queen attacked her mind just like that; her honey-like sweet voice engulfing her from inside, sharp claws digging into her very core. She knew it was essential for witches, to communicate in such a way so no one from the outer world could hear them, but still. It was annoying and privacy wrecking.

The second thing she didn't really like was the gathering itself. Witches took ages to reach the sanctuary due to the distance of their private places of stay. So, in conclusion, it took another hour until all members of London's coven finally took their places by the oval table in the main room.

The room itself was round, reminding more of a cupola. Besides the main door, walls were covered by high shelves full of old books. Some of them were already there when witches moved in, some of them were brought by the daughters of Lilith.

And only a few of them had been actually used.

“We gathered here because I have something to tell you,” Dye stood up from her place, eyeing every single witch present in the room. Silver hair covered her whole back while the crown forged from black steel sat proudly on her head. She always wore it, displaying the power she was gifted with. A bit of an unnecessary gesture, but she's been always a bit of a drama queen, Sage thought. Rather to herself, though. They weren't supposed to question the woman that led them from hell into something which wasn't really hell, but still somehow reminded one.

Guess the supernatural life will never be easy.

“That is understandable. I don't want to seem rude, but could you, please, tell us what is going on? I have a place to be at, errands to run,” one of the fire witches dared to speak, therefore making Dye scoff at her.

The queen didn't like to be interrupted.

But on the other hand, she understood.

London's coven was one of the most powerful in witch's history. Also, it was the only full coven in Europe, making them special and almost invincible. It was one of the reasons why London was called the capital of the supernatural.

“The Old Crone has spoken.”

Silence fell over the room, not even the breathing of thirteen present women was hearable. They were all well aware of the Old Crone living in the Forest of Forbidden, never leaving the premises. She made it her home - at least the witches said so. In reality, the Old Crone has always been the part of the Forest of Forbidden. Some of the members of the coven believed that she has been born there. The others said she simply moved there and stubbornly made it her own 'residence'.

No one knew the truth.

And no one really cared.

As long as she didn't mingle with their business, everything was okay.

“What did she say?” Serah asked, sparks of fear dancing down her spine. She never felt positive about the old witch. The woman reminded her of death with the rotting stink lingering around her every time she managed to meet her in the forest.

And she was a hundred percent sure she was one.

In the end, there always was a bit of truth in fairytales. And if witches and vampires, werewolves and demons were real, why wouldn't the Death be as well?

Sage spared the water-bound witch a glance, yet she didn't make it through Serah's mental barricade to calm her a little.

And while Serah and Sage tried to grasp the situation and uncover the secret Dye kept from them, Sunmi, sitting opposite them, only scoffed, completely done with her sisters. The other air-bound witch wasn't in the mood today, and it was pretty obvious.

“The Prophecy has come. I didn't expect it so soon, but it's inevitable. We will have to prepare for tough times. The dark days are coming.”

The dark days in association with witches usually didn't mean anything harsh or terrifying. But once such words left the Old Crone's mouth, it was considered a serious threat.

“Okay, but what did she say? Without knowing details, we cannot assume something bad is going to happen, right? It's not always like that, don't try to make me believe that the world is about to end tomorrow. I heard that crazy guy yelling outside that it's going to happen in like two hundred years or so,” Emetri, one of the fire witches who usually kept quiet, suddenly spoke up, almost standing up from her seat. She was one of the first members to join Dye's sisterhood, special in her own way as she didn't laugh in her face, accusing her of being crazy enough to form a complete coven. Many witches before did so. Many of them powerful and smart but still too stupid to refuse Dye's offer. It took her decades to form this, to forge such strong bond between the twelve still young women sitting by the round table.

“I think we all know what that old bat-shit crazy creature told our queen, sister,” Sunmi spoke up again, her voice less pissed off than her facial expression was. She really, really didn't want to be here right now.

“Yes, we do, but I still want to hear it. Using your words is a nice way how to explain something to someone, don't you think, _sister_?” with that, Emetri has had enough. She wasn't much of a fan of such uncalled behavior.

And while the two of them fought (but not really), the others sat quietly, waiting for their queen to finally speak up. She took her time, her eyes wandering around the room, taking in every single detail. It almost seemed like she was bidding her silent farewells as if this was the last meeting of the complete coven.

“My dear children, sisters, companions. I'm afraid Sunmi is right, we all know about the Prophecy. I was afraid it might come - and it did. Sooner than we all expected, but it's here. You know what to do, right? We've been discussing this for ages now.”

As much as it might have sounded deep and uncanny, all of the present women understood the weight of the situation. The inevitable came, knocked on their door without even waiting to be invited inside. 

What a mess, seriously.

“Is that all you wanted to tell us?” Serah asked after the silence became unbearable anymore. Dye only nodded, completely unbothered by the fact that she interrupted them just to announce what, two simple sentences? Sage shook her head in pure disbelief. She was most probably a disgrace to her family, shaming her queen just like that, but he couldn't help herself. The Prophecy has always been a part of their lives, of the message they were supposed to leave behind.

“Then I'm leaving,” she said, aiming for the coat hung right next to the door. For a while, her eyes lingered on the four keys. At the first glance, they were seemingly innocent, just a small piece of steel innocently lying on the shelf. Little did the world know it was one of the most powerful instruments witches disposed with.

She so wanted to lean in, to grab the one that has been guarded by the other air witch, but she couldn't. She didn't prove to be the trustworthy holder. Her powers might have been the cause for her to fail such a commitment. Or maybe, just maybe, it was her family background. The one she didn't admit, no way in hell. Or heaven even.

Dye shot her a sideway glance, clearing her throat before speaking up as a rightful queen she was.

“Don't forget about Sunday.”

Sage nodded, slipping into her coat, living the room right after. It definitely wasn't one of her best decisions, but she couldn't just stay there, listening to her queen's bullshit while doing her best to resist the calling of the air key. It's been bearable through the years, but lately, it became something she fought really hard. With every last bit of her willpower. Not that she wanted to snatch the key out of Sunmi's hands - she knew better than anyone else that the key was secured in her sister's hands.

But something kept luring her. Something kept her thinking that in the end, she would be a better keeper. Yet, all those years ago, Dye decided Sunmi will be the bearer of the air key - and for all of them, the queen's word was definite. But the tiny little voice inside of the air-bound witch kept nudging her, kept her mind busy with all those imagines of being the one in charge of the key. If only she could taste the tiny bit of power, if only she could know how it feels to have the key on the chain securely tugged under her blouse. If only.

Those thoughts kept hunting her as she made her way through the city, the sun already setting when she finally reached the outskirts of the city. She didn’t like living in the center – it was too loud, too full of annoying people. She preferred to live in the shadows, away from the curious eyes of mundane. Some of them might have been blessed with the knowledge of the supernatural world, but that still didn’t mean she would expose her life just like that. Not really.

“You look gloomier than you usually do. I suppose something bad happened?” a silent voice crept from behind her. When it happened for the first time, cold shivers sizzled down her spine, causing her to almost have a panic attack. Because how often can you say you are talking to the Grim Reaper himself?

Many considered the Old Crone to be the Death itself, but little did they know the real Grim Reaper was walking the planet Earth unnoticed, hidden in shadows, pretending to be a young and very beautiful merchant.

Choi San was a bitch. And Sage hated him from the bottom of her heart, yet she couldn’t bring herself to admit it out loud. He used to appear out of nowhere, interrupting her personal space when she wasn’t expecting him to do so. It was his way to show an affection, she found out about that when he visited her for like a hundredth time.

“A simple greeting doesn’t mean anything to you, does it?” she asked, her voice irritated a little. She really, really wasn’t in mood for San’s jokes, nor the way he usually talked to her.

“Come on, it’s the way the Weaver and the Grim Reaper get along together. Long time before, when the magic first met the outskirts of this planet, the two of us—”

No, she didn’t really want to listen to his bullshit. Besides, she knew the tale. She knew about the destiny – well, better said the curse – of the Weaver and the Grim Reaper. Every time the weaver witch has been born, the Grim Reaper found the way to her, befriended her and stayed by her side until it was time to leave. Until she died and another one came and claim the title.

“San, shut up and tell me what you came to tell me. Stop wasting our time.”

San bit on his lower lip, preventing himself from smirking he was sure Sage wouldn’t really appreciate. The truth was, he didn’t really have a reason to come visit her. Of course, he heard the calling from the underworld, calling of the dead. That’s why he came to check on his companion, daring to say a good friend.

“I felt the presence of the Old Crone. She woke up from her slumber and I can’t say I’m a fan of her doings. That’s why I came to check on you. And before you start defending yourself, throwing accusation after accusation at me, because I know you, little one, let me finish. I know that the old hag has been a part of your lives for decades now. But you should be careful. I don’t like the atmosphere lingering around London. I know you are strong, completely capable of defending yourself. But please, be careful,” he murmured, his voice silent, almost as if he didn’t want to interrupt the silence fallen over the neighborhood the air-bound witch was living in.

She looked at him, her eyes scanning the tiny little trace of him only joking, but there was none. He was completely serious, his facial features sharpening even more. In that moment, he became an intimidating man, one would even run away the second San looked at them. But not her. Not anymore.

“Thank you,” she only said, lowering her gaze to her feet. Maybe San was right, and she should be a little more cautious. “You know I always appreciate your concern. Even though it usually doesn’t look like that,” she chuckled a little, letting San wrap his arm around her shoulder, guiding her to the small pathway leading to her house. Once they reached the destination, San stopped in front of her, towering over her tiny body like an intimidating shadow. And at that moment, Sage exactly knew what was about to happen.

“You don’t have to stay in this house you so stubbornly call your home. You can always come with me. There’s a place for you. Always was and always will be. It takes only one word; say it and I will save you from this goddamn place. You don’t owe Dye a shit. Gosh, she doesn’t even have to understand. Look what she did to you, she robbed you of something so precious to you.”

She so wanted to yell at him, to scream and shout, to defend herself but she couldn’t because San was right. Everything he said was true and she would be a coward if she fought back. It would make her look weak and vulnerable and that was something she couldn’t so easily afford. She was a bearer of her name, the one chosen to take a place in London’s coven. And only the dark lord knew how happy her family would be knowing this. She was supposed to do something big, something grand, something worthy of her family name. Running away with San would be the exact opposite of the commitment of hers.

Leaning in, she let him wrap his arms around her, his scent lingering closer, closer, closer until it blocked out the outer world completely. Because Choi San was a bitch and she hated him from the bottom of her heart but also loved him to the point, she was losing herself. And that was unacceptable. Yet, it only took him a few precisely aimed words, knowing the core of her already rotting soul better than the back of his hand.

“Yes, she took away what was supposed to be mine, but that doesn’t mean I will run away so easily. I’m still part of the coven, they are my sisters, my companions, my partners in crime. We are one, by magic and by blood. And I won’t abandon them now, when the Prophecy has been spoken.”

She didn’t even realize she revealed a crucial information in front of the Death himself. Not that she cared – San was nowhere but everywhere. He knew everything. He was a part of everyone’s life, including hers. There was no point in keeping something away from him.

“One more reason. The Prophecy was never good. It’s only going to hurt you. To harm you on the highest level possible.”

“Does it mean you will come for me once my time is up?” she asked him, looking up, brave enough to find a way to his eyes. He was already staring back, of course, very unsatisfied with the answer she gave him.

“I will never come for you. I thought I’ve already pledged myself to that. Until I hold the power over the life and death, you will never have to be scared of dying. It would be a great loss for the world of supernatural.”

“You are exaggerating.”

“And you are clearly out of your mind, thinking I will let you die. You made me too soft for such a cruel coup d’état.”

“Exaggerating. Again,” she giggled, sliding her small and delicate hand into his bigger one, intertwining their fingers together. At first, she wanted to send him away, to tell him to fuck off and leave her alone. Because everything she desired was simply some lone time. But he appeared, assured her it was going to be fine, even though it was in a very specific way. And now, she didn’t really want him to leave. She knew it would only take one word and he would stay.

Which is why she kept silent, only leading him inside. Long gone were the times when she fought her inner feelings, those she ever so desperately tried to push and bottle up. After some time, she simply gave up, knowing it won’t go away that easily. San was a part of her life, whether she liked it or not. Maybe it was in that weird and twisted way he always used to talk about – about the Weaver and the Grim Reaper. It was a story about friendship, about holding each other’s back. It definitely wasn’t a story about two lovers. That’s why it simply didn’t feel right when he first confessed his feelings. And when she did the same, despite knowing it was wrong, so utterly wrong.

They still went for it.

The romance still survived. Hidden in the shadows, but it did.

“Will you stay?”

“You know you don’t have to ask twice.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Seeing the four of you in a plain daylight means nothing good. I think people even have a saying for something like this. It goes like—”  
> “Shut up, Jimin.”  
> “I’m not sure if it goes like that, but okay.”

Taehyung woke up in the middle of the night. It wasn’t a special nor uncommon thing for him. He often woke up when the Moon reached the highest position in the sky, ruling when it was Sun’s time to rest. While being unable to sleep, he often wandered around the manor, getting to know the secret corners he still hasn’t properly explored. But this night was different. He heard the strange calling form the outside, a small voice repeatedly calling his name. At first, it seemed like a silent prayer, someone tiny calling for him. But the more he was paying attention to the voice, the more attached he grew to it, knowing that he wasn’t strong enough to resist the calling.

This is how it began. An innocent voice luring him out when his brothers were deep asleep, unaware of crimes their youngest brother was about to commit.

He slipped out of the bed quietly, throwing the old cloak over his shoulders. It covered him completely once he pulled the hood over his head, covering half of his face. He approached the door, stopping in the middle of the movement. He felt the familiar tingling in the tips of his fingers, signalizing nothing good was about to happen. And when he looked down, he realized his hands already turned black. Maybe it was the shadow coating his body. And maybe it was the curse he has been born with. Either way, he knew he couldn’t stay in this house any longer. The voice grew more and more exasperating, teasing the beast he locked deep inside.

_I don’t want to_ , was the only thought running through his mind as he left the premises of the manor, disappearing into the foggy London’s night.

***

When the first rays of sun started to fight its way through the gap in the curtains, San knew it was time to leave. As much as he hated leaving her in the morning just like that, something inside of him whispered it was no good to stay, to caress her and hold her, to pretend he was a normal man with normal needs.

Because he wasn’t. He was everything but that.

He leaned closer, pushing the strand of long blonde hair away from her face. She scrunched her nose, probably still deep asleep. And he was so glad it was a peaceful dream. He didn’t really want to recall all of those nights when she barely fell asleep in his arms only to wake up hour later, screaming, tossing and turning in agony her body was going through. He was old enough to know all of those disastrous things walking this planet Earth, but he has never before encountered nightmares like hers. For someone so old like he was, even this was something new.

“Be careful. And kick asses, if it’s needed to,” he murmured to her ear, kissing the sweet spot under. She squirmed again, gripping tightly on the blanket he covered her body with. But not even the kiss could wake her up from the slumber she fell into. It was a nice ticket out of her house, though. He covered himself with the long cloak, leaving the place unnoticed. It was one of the perks of being the Death itself. If he didn’t want anyone to see him, he was basically invisible to the outer world. San amused himself with such thoughts until his feet mindlessly carried him deeper into the heart of the still sleeping city.

Something disturbed him. Something dark and already rotting, something out of this world, yet so familiar to him. In long years of his existence, he came in contact with this wicked thing more times than he actually wanted to. First things first, it was out of this world, yet it was something lingering within mundane magic. Which made him frown, actual shivers sizzling down his spine as he let his sixth sense lead him to the crime scene. It didn’t take him long to approach the small plaza hidden in the shadow of what first seemed like abandoned manors. There was a body lying on the cold ground, still clothed, but he couldn’t miss the black marks on the woman’s neck. Someone strangled her to death, that was the first thing that popped into his mind. Someone mercilessly killed her and left her lying on the cold tiles. For a while, he imagined her lying there, her body twisted in a weird angle while those black marks were gracing her delicate features.

And then he realized he was still the Death. He was the one taking care of such things. So, shaking his head in pure disbelief that such a petite witch could madden him just like that – since she was everything he was thinking about at the moment – he dropped to his knees, gently taking the dead girl into his arms.

“A better world is waiting for you, my dear little one,” he whispered silently, rising to his feet again. She was so light in his arms and he once again imagined holding _her_ , his inners clenching immediately. Because as much as he promised her that she would never die, even he, Death himself, couldn’t make such a promise.

Swallowing hardly, he turned on his heel, disappearing into the thin air with the girl still in his arms. Because she deserved a better place to be at the moment.

***

Waking up alone wasn’t something she didn’t know in a very personal way. It didn’t surprise her when she opened her eyes, only to find the rumpled blanket lying next to her. He might have been the Death itself, but he never really learned to clean up the mess behind.

She sat up, stretching her stiff body, cursing herself internally for inviting him the last night. There were more important things than spending the night with her lover. Things like the Prophecy and the weight of her self-blame trip that fell over her shoulders the moment she gained consciousness again. For a while, she couldn’t really believe she let those dark thoughts to take over her, making her feel belittled and weak. Which she wasn’t, of course. She was more than that.

She quickly wrapped herself in the clothes she found lying on the floor, approaching the kitchen to make some tea before she heard silent knock on the door. Deep down in her soul, she wished it was him, coming back to her, pretending they were an ordinary middle-classed couple. A housewife and a man working on steamship, only coming home once a month.

To her disappointment, Sunmi was standing there, holding a big-ass book in her hand. Once she saw her sister standing there, covered only in something what seemed to be blanket, she cleared her throat, stepping inside without being invited. Sunmi closed the door behind, putting the book on the nearest shelf.

“In a sake of keeping our sisterhood, I’m not going to ask you what happened in here. Even though the smell is still lingering around the house. Disgusting. Go get dressed and then we will talk,” she scoffed, completely dismissing her when she made her way to the small kitchen, finishing the tea Safe intended to make before.

The older air-bound witch wasted no more time as she approached her private chamber, slipping into a simple robe while she still put the cloak over her shoulders. She was in her own residence, but somehow, she felt more about covering herself. Even in front of her own sister.

Coming back to the kitchen, she found Sunmi already sipping on the tea while the old and big-ass book took a place on the table. Just when she took a closer look, she found out it was the Han’s family grimoire. A sacred book containing secret spells and family’s witchcraft. Sage herself kept the same. The one her grandmother bequeathed to her when she was still an innocent girl.

“You know, just because you suck at asking that Moroi out, it’s not my fault you are jealous of the life I’m leading at the moment. But I guess that’s not something you came to discuss, is it?” Sage reached for the cup of tea, sipping on the bittersweet liquid.

Sunmi shot her a sideway glance, completely ignoring the topic.

“As much as I’m flattered that you are interested in my love life, no, that’s not what I came to discuss with you. I spent some time at the main manor last night. After our sisters and queen went home, I spent another three or four hours there, looking for a book I needed for a new spell. But that’s not the point. After I left the mansion, I didn’t go straight home. It was a nice night for a little walk, people were nowhere to be found, streets were quiet and peaceful. At least I thought so. I reached the Greenfield plaza, the abandoned one. Sage, I saw something I wasn’t supposed to see. And the worst thing is – I couldn’t do shit about that. I was scared to the marrow of my bones, unable to scream and breath even.”

And that was something Sage didn’t see coming. Sunmi was her fellow witch-sister for as long as she could remember. She never saw her scared, nor heard her admitting something like that. Sunmi was one of those fearless, ready to fight in a snap of fingers. And if something scared her, it must have been a really terrifying thing.

“Tell me what you saw.”

“It happened so fast, but I can say it was a man. Tall, very tall. He had long coat and a hoodie covering his face. He appeared out of nowhere, grabbing that innocent girl by her own coat. For a while, he was only staring, but then he was all over her. It almost seemed like his hands turned into a pair of venomous snakes when he wrapped them around her neck, choking her. That poor girl didn’t even whimper. And then he was gone. I don’t know if the night itself swallowed him or what, but he was simply gone. I wanted to help her, fuck, I really did. But there was something lingering in the air. Something rotten and wicked. We are used to work with such things, but even this was completely out of my league. I had to leave,” she took a deep breath, finishing her little speech. And while she seemed to be lost in her thoughts, Sage was still processing.

“Okay, but that doesn’t make any sense,” was everything she was capable of saying. Because, indeed, it didn’t make sense. Who would kill an innocent mundane while leaving a trace of twisted magic behind? It certainly wasn’t a witchcraft, that would Sunmi knew.

“Why wouldn’t it make a sense? I saw what I saw. Someone murdered an innocent human being while I was unable to help her. And I can definitely tell you it wasn’t another human being. It was a supernatural.”

That was a serious accusation, the one worth of letting the Congress know about. Yet, Sage’s tiny little voice residing inside of her warned her not to do such a thing. Of course, the main reason the Congress was formed all those years ago was to protect the supernatural. It also existed in spite of easier communication between the supernatural species. But despite the fact they were supposed to be helpful, in real it was only a bunch of high and mighty idiots sitting around on their asses, pretending they cared about their fellow supernatural members. In conclusion, they weren’t really helpful unless you wanted to discuss a political matter.

Or plot intrigues.

“Murders are pretty common in London, but you are right,” Sage nodded, because who was she not to believe her sister when she was adamant about her own truth? It still felt off, though. And then it struck her.

“Did he see you?”

“What?”

“The attacker. Did he see you?” Sage asked, sipping on the tea again. It was supposed to be a calming one, but the more she was thinking about what Sunmi just told her, the more nervous she grew.

“Uh, no. I don’t think so. I told you he disappeared into a thin air. As soon as the life left the girl’s body, he simply dropped her like a rag doll. I ran away right after because even though I might be a witch, I doubt I would be able to defend myself against… this.”

“Then there should be a body. It’s still early in the morning and judging by the place it happened at, no one should find it yet. I propose we go there and check what happened. We could maybe take Serah, too. It’s better to be the three of us, in case we would need to use some magic. Or we can stop by and ask Emetri to join us.”

Sunmi wasn’t sure whether she liked the idea of bringing more people into this secret, but it was only natural to gather as many witches as they could. Risky but protective move.

“Let’s get both of them. And if we don’t find anything, then you could try to see it yourself—”

“No. No way. I’m not using that power. I’m so sorry you had to go through that night, but I’m not using weaving to go back. It wouldn’t even work for you, Sun. So, my answer is no,” Sage shook her head. She realized her arguments were weak and eventually, Sunmi would break her. If she cornered Sage hard enough, the older witch would do that. Yet, Sunmi herself wasn’t sure about her idea. The moment she recalled happenings from last night, she wasn’t so sure about going back again. That wicked power, sly and filthy, that was something she didn’t want to experience again. Not really.

“Okay, I admit, it was a stupid idea. But we should definitely check the place,” she murmured, finishing her cup of the tea while she was eyeing her fellow air-bound witch sister.

Because as much as Sage desired to be the keeper of the key, Sunmi always wanted to master the art of weaving. When she saw it for the first time, she was mesmerized. It looked so effortless when Sage reached for fibers of time and space, playing with them, twisting them over her delicate fingers, having the fate of the world in her hand, even though it only lasted for a short moment. She only saw her doing that twice – in spite of their queen. No one was supposed to interfere with her while she was performing the art. But that was it. Sage held a great power in her hands, but somehow, for some weird and to the other witches’ unknown reason, she hadn’t touched her power since then. Yet, no one dared to ask her why.

Sage looked at her, a weird tension filling the room. It wasn’t uncommon for two witches to feel uncomfortable in each other’s presence as their inner caged power fought its way out. Mainly when the situation was tensed, exactly like this one.

“We should go. Leave the book here, it’s going to be safe.”

***

Taehyung came home early in the morning when the ground was still cold, and rays of the sun were still nowhere to be seen. He quietly closed the door, aiming for the spiral staircase while secretly hoping his brothers were still asleep. But unsurprisingly, when he reached the floor his room was situated at, he collided with Namjoon’s cold gaze. Shit was about to go down, he knew that for sure when Namjoon reached for Taehyung’s hands, revealing the thick black skin his usual smooth sun-kissed one turned into. Sighing heavily, he let go of his younger brother’s hands. It happened and there was nothing Namjoon could do about it. Asking Taehyung questions would take him nowhere since his brother wasn’t the one to share details about his demonic side. The side that took over him every time he hit the rock bottom. Namjoon was used to his manic episodes – when Taehyung kept losing himself over the tiny details he couldn’t comply to. What he didn’t see coming was Taehyung, losing himself once again after they moved to London. It kept getting better when they were still in Norway, his behavior completely harmless to the outer world. And after what seemed like an eternity, Taehyung was free to live his own life. By his own rules.

“Have you heard voices again?” Namjoon asked, his voice stone-cold, exactly as his posture was.

“It was only one. Namjoon, she was desperate. She needed me to lead her to the other side. How could I deny her such a plea? She was praying to me. You wouldn’t be able to say no if you were to wear my skin.”

Namjoon hated the fact that there actually was something on what Taehyung just said. In his sick and twisted way, Taehyung was right, Namjoon wouldn’t be able to say no. He was the one who always helped others. He never said no. But resisting the calling was the first and basic rule they agreed on after deciding to move to London. Taehyung promised his brothers not to kill anyone anymore.

Unsurprisingly to Namjoon, it happened later than he expected. Not that he didn’t have faith in his brother, he loved him, and he would always support him – even though Taehyung was a cold-hearted murderer. But he still wished for his brother to get better somehow.

“You should have come to me, brother. You know I’m always here for you, to help you. To stay by your side, even though it might look completely different. The same applies to Seokjin. You can think he is the bad one, but he is not. We love you, Taehyung.”

“Demons cannot love. We don’t know what love means,” he scoffed, something wicked mirroring in his eyes. Namjoon knew he was still in delirium from killing someone, the bittersweet experience still flooding in his bloodstream. As the devious entity kept staring at Namjoon from behind Taehyung’s green irises, his older brother took a step back, unable to do anything anymore. What was done couldn’t be undone, Namjoon knew that better than anyone. Ever since the day one, he kept covering Taehyung’s crimes, cleaning the mess he left behind.

“What is this mess? Why are you up so early? You both know I goddamn need my beauty sleep!” Seokjin bolted from his room, a very pissed off expression written all over his heavenly shaped facial features. The moment he saw Taehyung’s hands, he understood. His posture immediately changed as he approached the two men standing in the middle of the hallway, both completely done with each other. He towered over them; his usual cheerful aura gone with the wind.

“You, go to your room now. Try to breathe it away. For fuck’s sake, drink a whole bottle of whisky, I don’t care. Just get rid of that annoying part of your persona. Do not seek me until you are completely yourself again,” Seokjin hissed, his voice aiming at the very core of Taehyung’s. His younger brother only growled lowly, knowing better than anyone else that we wouldn’t ever get rid of that _annoying part of his persona_. It was his part, it completed it, it defined him. Seokjin just didn’t understand. How could he? Taehyung turned on his knees, slamming the door of his room loudly.

“And you, come with me,” Seokjin turned on his heel, leading the way to the main library on the second floor. As soon as the two of them were inside, Seokjin closed the door, immediately approaching the small bar next to the massive office table. He poured himself a glass of whisky, downing it in one gulp.

“He killed someone.”

“Yep. He did.”

“We shouldn’t have let him do it.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but it was just yesterday when you told me to let him be. To let him live his own life without being restricted by any rules.”

“Yes, and I also said we will be here for him once he burns. And he is burning right now. So, it’s time to step up and take the responsibility.”

“Seokjin, I seriously don’t understand you sometimes. You say something and then do the complete opposite. What do you want from him? From me? From yourself? You have pretty high expectations, yet everything you do is sitting on your ass, whining from morning till evening while not even moving your finger,” Namjoon felt the anger boiling inside. And he also knew he wasn’t quite fair with his older brother right now. Seokjin was a mess, that was true, but his intentions were pure.

“You don’t understand it because you barely use your powers.”

“And what does it have to do with this issue exactly?”

Seokjin, annoyed to the point he couldn’t stand it anymore, poured himself another whisky. This time, he was done with the liquid in two gulps before giving Namjoon a sideway glance.

“Dear brother, did you forget where we came from? Pits of pure evil spat us out, leaving us to walk this planet alone. But they gave us a goodbye gift, our powers, wicked but useful,” Seokjin said, putting the glass away only to show Namjoon his black arms. From the tip of his fingers to his collar bones, his arms turned black, skin hardening and almost peeling off. Seokjin mastered the curse eons ago, knowing how to use it without actually killing someone. He did it, from time to time, when he heard the calling and found it being unbearable anymore. Those times were the hardest, but he knew, that if he didn’t want to hurt an innocent human being, he had to go down there and basically slay a dragon. Or another devious being.

Namjoon immediately averted his gaze as he didn’t want to be a witness of something so horrendous. He possessed the same power, of course. He could clearly remember the first time he actually used it, choking a young merchant in the middle of the day when the sun was the highest and streets were full of innocent by-passers. He was lucky enough to be covered with long coat with a hood. Otherwise he would have ended impaled. Or worse. He also clearly remembered the unmistakable calling – a young voice of someone who ever so desperately wanted to cross to the other side. That’s why he couldn’t really blame Taehyung for committing such a crime.

“He still doesn’t know how to fight it. And I don’t know how to help him,” Namjoon murmured, taking a place in one of the leather seats. He only glanced at Seokjin, making himself sure that the curse was gone. And it was, Seokjin’s arms were covered in soft skin again, no trace of that terrifying black thing.

“Let’s be honest here, neither of us do. My point was, you don’t understand Taehyung because you keep pushing your true self into the corner. You are bottling up your powers, therefore it’s only natural you wouldn’t be able to understand your brother. The urge that drives him to do such things. That drives us to do such things. And I still don't understand – why? It’s a part of you. It’s something our mother passed to us, so we could survive here. You will have to let go of that belief of yours one day. If you truly want to understand and save Taehyung so much.”

Namjoon was about to scoff, but deep down, he knew Seokjin was right. Taehyung wasn’t the only one supposed to reach out for a help. As an older and more responsible brother, he was supposed to reach for him, to help him once he gets into the trouble again.

Trouble. Oh lord, he hated that word so much. It perfectly described his little devious family.

“Now we only need to know if someone saw him.”

“I bet my ass it was a clear job. Without a trace. He might be crazy, but at least he pays attention to the outer world. He wouldn’t let a single soul see him. That’s not something you should be worried about, Joonie. Let it be. Leave him to heal for a moment – and then we can talk to him again. You know Taehyung, it would be pointless talking to him right now.”

“I guess you are right,” Namjoon defeatedly got up from the seat, aiming for the door. Seokjin only chuckled, pouring himself another glass.

“Of course, I am. I am always right.”

***

“Seeing the four of you in a plain daylight means nothing good. I think people even have a saying for something like this. It goes like—”

“Shut up, Jimin.”

“I’m not sure if it goes like that, but okay.”

Jimin was right about something – it was never more than two witches outside at the same time in the same place. And right now, he was lucky enough to bump into four of them, wandering up and down the forgotten plaza. Well, maybe it wasn’t that forgotten, considering the attention coming from the supernatural side. He only wanted to pass the place as he was supposed to meet with his fellows, but what caught his attention was a small group of witches – from whom he knew one of them almost on a personal level. That’s why he stopped by, immediately investigating what was going on.

Sadly, witches didn’t like to share their personal matters, so Jimin only stood around, sticking his nose into what was definitely not his business. At least, as a Moroi, he didn’t need to worry about the sun.

Not that it was their business as well. Once they arrived at the place Sunmi remembered the horrible thing happened at, there was nothing. Not even a trace of dark and sticky magic in the air. She didn’t expect anything else, to be honest. It happened hours ago; it was only natural they would find nothing. But she still wished for at least a bit of evidence.

“I still don’t see the point. It clearly is not our business. What are we doing here again?” Emetri asked, nervously biting on her lower lip. The fire-bound witch promised something to someone, being suspiciously silent about her schedule. It took them ages to make her agree on checking the crime scene. And for what? So they could find nothing? Plus, Jimin’s presence annoyed her. She didn't like the Moroi, he was sly and double-faced, never revealing the whole truth.

Meanwhile, Sunmi was trying to make herself as busy as possible. She was checking the place, going back in her memory to recall everything that happened last night. She gave them a slight briefing before Jimin joined them, now pacing around while his sharp eyes never left her soft features.

“Is it just me, or the atmosphere around tensed since the vamp joined us,” Serah murmured silently, her voice aimed for Sage’s ears. The older air-bound witch only shrugged, giving her sister a look. Yes, there was something going on between Sunmi and Jimin – and no one knew what. But she wasn’t the one to ask questions as she didn’t want to get revealed herself.

Because being in a relationship with Death itself wasn’t quite right either.

“Don’t you have somewhere else to be? I mean, no one asked you to snoop around, so it’d be really nice if you just… fucked off,” Emetri just couldn’t hold herself anymore, her fiery persona peeking through her usual calm attire.

“I don’t think it’s your business. London is a free city, I can be wherever I want to be without asking for permission,” no, he didn’t really like her back and he certainly wasn’t about to pretend he was.

Ignoring the little fight between her witch-sister and the vampire who went by a name Informant in the supernatural underworld, Sage looked at Sunmi, sighing heavily.

“It’s pointless, we are not going to find anything. We should go, Jimin was right. It’s weird to see us in a plain daylight. There are four of us plus a Moroi. The aurora around us must be really crazy. We should go,” she said, wiping her hands against the fabric of her coat, almost as if she just finished a hard handiwork.

Thinking about that, she was right. Too many creatures in one place always called for unwanted attention. It didn’t matter whether they were wearing mundane clothes, whether they pretended to be one, it was always obvious there was something off with them, something weird and disturbing. People didn’t see anything weird, though. They only felt sudden anxiety and suspicion. But for witches and the others, it wasn’t only about feelings. They could see the soft light lingering around the other creatures, coating them gently, but never with a good intention.

Jimin must have realized the same as he took a step back, sparing them one last look. His eyes lingered on Sunmi for a little longer, a voiceless conversation so loud between the two of them. Emetri only rolled her eyes and Serah with Sage tried their best to pretend they were simply not present there.

“Ridiculous. Be careful,” Serah murmured under her nose, being the first one who actually left the scene. Before they got there, they agreed on going their separate ways so they wouldn’t be suspicious. And so Dye wouldn’t hear about their little escapade.

“I will see you, girls, on Sunday. You better not be late, Sunmi,” Emetri reminded her sister, leaving as well. Only three of them remained, looking at each other while the wind was rustling in the background. The weather was getting worse and worse, most of the days it was only raining as the sun barely made it up in the sky without being coated in greyish clouds.

“You girls should be careful. It’s been said that there’s someone new in the town. Someone dangerous, you don’t want to play with him and his little army.”

“What do you mean, someone new?” Sunmi asked immediately, giving Jimin no space to think twice about his words. It wasn’t a piece of information he first intended to share, but the more he was staring at the two witches standing in front of him, the less he could control the words coming out of his mouth.

“Look, I don’t know much. Not this time. But I heard my people whispering that a Strigoi made an appearance in London. Apparently, he is here to seal the deal, so I guess it’s nothing important. But you should still be on the highest alert possible. Strigoi are dangerous vampires, their bloodlust in uncontrollable and they don’t go along with the other creatures well. If you see one, just don’t pay attention to it and leave the place as quietly as possible.”

“Jimin, do you realized that I’m a hundred and twenty-four years old and that I’ve might actually come across a Strigoi before? Also, we are safe. They can only go outside after the sunset” Sage murmured, completely done with the Moroi standing in front of her. Of course, she really appreciated his concern, but on the other hand, none of them were little kids in the coven. They were strong and able to defend themselves. Yes, Strigoi might be a little too much for them, but with their powers, even a bloodlust-driven vampire could be defeated.

“I’m twice your age and I’m still scared, Sage. It doesn’t matter if they can come out after the sunset or not. This is not a game. Just watch out, otherwise it will be us looking for your dead body, okay?” and with those words, he simply disappeared. A shameless attribute all vampires possessed. No matter how much attention you paid, you could never really grasp the moment they disappeared from the plain sight.

“Son of a bitch.”

“Indeed,” to Sage’s surprise, Sunmi agreed with her. And when the air-bound witch turned to the other one, Sunmi was already walking down the street, the hem of her coat dancing around her ankles.

“And you call yourselves friends, right,” she murmured under her nose, no option other than leaving left for her. Her feet carried her back into the center of the city, streets flooded with stalls and people passing by. For a while, she toyed with the idea of calling San, asking him whether he knew something about the dead girl. But she quickly declined so, knowing that despite San loved her – or at least he claimed so – he wouldn’t tell her. One thing was their emotions, the other their true essence. In the end, they were still the weaver and the grim reaper. It was a complicated story. And if you wanted to hear the complete version, you would need more than a thousand nights.

***

“Would you believe it? They are calling it the Forest of Forbidden. Legend says once you step in, you are trapped forever. It’s like a maze without an end. Of course, it only applies on mortal human beings, but still. It’s so stupid. I don’t think even humans believe it. What do you think, _hyung_?” a tall young man asked, his curly hair falling into his doe-like eyes. He was often mistaken for an innocent adolescent as his face reminded more of an angel than a bloodlust Strigoi. It was a perfect coverage, a ploy to gain the trust of the others. He planned on using that tonight as well. Until his master stopped him, telling him it was such a bullshit idea. The person they were going to meet wasn’t just someone nor the stupid one to fall for such a trap.

“Jungkook?”

“Yeah?”

“Shut up.”

“That was rude, even for you, _hyung_.”

Yoongi turned to the younger one, his facial expression unreadable. Only his red eyes were shining with a wave of anger boiling under his skin. He was fighting the weird pressure on his chest ever since the moment he stepped into this land. Of course, he knew that London has been called the capital city of the supernatural, but he didn’t expect such pressure from every side possible. He could smell the witch energy in the air, mixed with something else. Something deadly and rotting, something that definitely didn’t belong to this world. But who was he to judge? He wasn’t supposed to exist in the first place. Yet, here he goes, leading the small group of his most trusted companions.

On his right side, there was Jeon Jungkook. Yoongi met him what seemed like eons ago. He too, all those years ago, fell for his trap, his innocent face, and presence. Until he realized Jungkook wasn’t the man he pretended to be.

On his left side, there was a red wolf, waddling quietly through the forest, dry leaves crunching under his paws. He was listening to the conversation carefully, frowning internally every time Jungkook said something stupid, making him doubt whether the young one really was a vampire. Other than that, he paid attention to their surrounding since the crossed the line of the Forest of Forbidden minutes ago. Since then, they were walking deeper and deeper into the heart of the forest, no trace of a living soul around.

“So, tell me again, _hyung_ , did she reach to you, or did your greedy ass sensed there was something off with London? Because you can basically feel it in the air. London better brace itself before the storm sweeps it from under its feet,” as much as Yoongi felt the weird pressure, Jungkook’s mouth was not about to shut anytime soon. He was babbling and babbling, not caring they stepped into their foe’s territory.

Yoongi sighed heavily, fighting the urge to pin Jungkook to the nearest tree and beat a little bit of common sense into his body. But he didn’t. His other companion’s fangs sank gently into his hand, preventing him from doing something he could regret. Yoongi only shot him a side-way glance, cursing himself internally. Maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t his brightest idea to come here and negotiate with the rotting witch. Now, she was known under the name Old Crone, but he knew better. He met her centuries ago, when she was still a young woman, beautiful even. Back then, she called herself Diana. She was the only one, without the mother and the maid by her side. He met her in the Middle East, she enchanted him, pretending to be an innocent young woman in trouble. Little did he know she only fooled him to run away, to hide in Londinium. It was then when she helped to form the Congress, a powerful organization he ever so desperately wanted to be a part of.

“Why are you asking such stupid questions, Jungkook? You know the answer – it’s a win-win situation for both of us. We do our job and she will be free. In return, I will get something our fellowship deserves. We will be known, Jungkook. Everyone will know about us. Everyone will know we are the true essence of the supernatural world. And we will be praised.”

“ _Hyung_ , not to interrupt your bitch-ass speech, but creatures already know about us. At least, they whisper. Isn’t it enough for you? Didn’t you want us to live in the shadow? Quietly?”

“I doubt that what you’ve been doing up until now was something quiet, Jungkook,” third man’s voice joined their chorus out of nowhere. In a snap of fingers, instead of the red wolf, there was a young man with fiery red hair walking, all naked. Yoongi stopped in the middle of his movement, sighing heavily. He couldn’t choose better companions for tonight’s meeting, seriously. Without any words necessary, he handed the man his own cloak to cover himself.

“Thanks, _hyung_.”

“No problem. But Hoseok, next time, you are bringing your own. I’m tired of you constantly stealing my clothes. As if I had enough to scatter.”

“Roget that, boss,” the young man saluted, covering himself in a carmine red cloak. He looked like a walking torch with his hair and the piece of clothing his master offered him seconds before. Not that he cared. Hoseok has always been the one to brighten the mood, even though he was a high member of one of the most dangerous fellowships of the supernatural history. He highly appreciated his status which bounded him to protect his master with his own life. Not that Yoongi needed such protection. But it was written in the old codex and when Yoongi made it into being a master of the fellowships, he didn’t bother to change such a stupid thing. He didn’t care. As long as he was leading his pack, he didn’t care about old words written on an even older piece of paper.

With those thoughts, he abruptly stopped, the scent of something dead and rotten hitting his sensitive senses. It didn’t take her long to sneak out of the shadows. She turned into such an old woman, a walking corpse even. Yoongi had to admit, centuries ago, she looked way better. But now? She turned into nothing more than skin and bones, her body curved as her spine didn’t hold straight anymore. Yet, her hair was still long and black, tangled with what seemed to be dead leaves. Just one look into her eyes told him she was probably blind.

But again, he knew better. She could only be fooling him, playing her dirty little tricks on him.

“You haven’t changed a bit, Min Yoongi.”

“Can’t tell the same about you, Diana,” he spoke her name out loud shamelessly. And it did him good, smirk slowly crawling over his lips as he saw her bony fingers wrap tighter around the cane she was holding. On top of it, there was a human skull attached, slowly but surely falling apart.

“You heard me calling, vampire. Are you and your fellows going to do as I asked you to?” she asked him, approaching him in small but steady steps. For someone like her, who seemed to fall apart any second, it was almost impossible.

“I have my terms, Diana.”

“That’s not my name anymore and you know it, vampire. But that doesn’t matter. We can discuss your terms once I get rid of the small rodent snooping around. Now, my little one,” she turned to the other side, sensing something neither of the newcomers could sense. “Get out or you will regret your decision in the morning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave kudos and comments in case you enjoyed the story ;)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hoseok blamed Jungkook, Jungkook blamed Yoongi and Yoongi blamed the goddamn universe for picking such companions. He could choose better, but on the other hand, he knew those two were the most loyal ones.

After the incident at the plaza, Sage couldn’t properly focus on her spells. She returned to the main residence, the one that was supposed to be the safe haven. She needed some books to master the witchcraft she was working on but unfortunately, she couldn’t find what she was looking for. And since she was really lazy and not in mood to meet other people wandering the streets of London, she decided to do something she didn’t do for quite a while.

Leaning into the hand-crafted chair, she closed her eyes only to enter the invisible world of threads. There were green ones, indicating places and the yellow ones, indicating the timeline. There were also red ones, the forbidden ones, her grandmother told her once. Red strings connected souls in the most sacred ways and even witches weren’t able to touch those. Well, technically, they were, but it was still something forbidden for them.

“Not that it would help, anyway,” she murmured under her nose, reaching her hand for the green one, immediately opening a small door through which she could peek into the Forest of Forbidden. Right in the middle, there was a small cottage, a place where they stored the most valuable things that simply couldn’t be found by humans. That was her final destination, she only wanted to step inside, take everything she needed and then quietly leave. Because even a jump this small cost her a lot of energy.

She didn’t even make it to the outskirts of the small field where the cottage was located when her eyes caught a glimpse of a movement. She quickly hid behind the nearest tree, trying to cover her magic as much as possible. It wasn’t a strong coverage, though, she was alone, her sisters nowhere to be seen. Why would they even be here? It was almost midnight and even witches needed their sleep. So, it was only her and three of the intruders. Aurora lingered around them only slightly, meaning it must have been someone powerful. Someone who actually realized that once there’s a lot of energy bound in one place, they would shine like a beacon.

Not many creatures could do such a thing, she was sure about that.

Only the true children of night could do that.

Dread sizzled down her spine when she realized she was looking at two Strigoi and a wolf – who soon changed into his human shape, revealing a handsome red-haired man. They seemed to be pretty close, even comfortable with each other. Suddenly, she recalled what Jimin told them earlier – a Strigoi has been spotted in the streets of London. So, it wasn’t only a Strigoi. He had other companions with him. She bit on her lower lip, contemplating whether she should use one of her spells or not. That was until the moment a scent of something rotten hit her senses. It was an unmistakable scent, the one you sense once and you know, that until the day you die, you are basically fucked. 

The Old Crone made it out of her hiding, probably waiting for those three men. The raven-haired one, standing in the middle, seemed more than familiar with the old, dying witch, even calling her name Sage didn’t hear before.

Diana.

Was it her real name?

Of course, she knew the witch must have come from somewhere, must have had her roots, family even. But she never thought about her real name as she was kind of scared of her. The aura lingering around the old one was dreadful and terrifying. She swallowed hardly, leaning a little bit closer to catch a glimpse of their conversation. Which was a mistake, of course. The Old Crone turned into her direction, her blind eyes sliding down her tiny figure. Sage took a step back, not breathing at all as the air around her grew thicker. In that moment, she didn’t know whether it was her defensive reflexes kicking in or the old witch was using her magic on her.

However, as much as she was confused about what was going on, she quickly managed to reach for the green thread, stepping into another place. With heart beating fast in her chest and her breath quickened, she found herself standing back in the round room, familiar scent of old books hitting her senses, calming her a little. She immediately packed everything she had set on the table, completely forgetting about the spell she was working on. Reaching for her coat that hung next to the door, she left the premises, blending into a few people still milling through the streets of London.

Her mind worked on hundred percent – something was going on in the Forest of Forbidden and she was the prime witness. Not only that – she was discovered by someone that made her guts twist in not so pleasurable way. On the other hand, the Old Crone was in no position to judge nor accuse her. The forest belonged to witches and they were free to visit whenever they felt like or needed to. Technically, it was Sage who could easily accuse the Old Crone. But doing that would put her into an uncomfortable position. Dye appreciated the Old Crone’s opinions and advices. So, if Sage accused her of something like a treason, it wouldn’t help her at all.

She couldn’t get rid of those thoughts as she made her way to Sunmi’s house. She didn’t know why. Maybe it was because she came to her this morning confessing with the ugly scene she has witnessed in the morning. Also, she thought of the Old Crone as a bat-shit crazy immortal hag, in other words, she didn’t like her at all. And that was it, that was the fact that driven Sage through the city straight to Sunmi’s porch.

She knocked twice and quietly, knowing that her sister in blood and magic was still up. It didn’t take her long to approach the front door, peeking outside.

“Oh. I didn’t expect you. Come in,” she said, opening the door so Sage could dance in. She immediately approached the small kitchen, taking a seat near the window. She peeked out, just to be sure no one followed her from so called safe haven. She didn’t feel any presence, but one could never be hundred percent sure. Creatures were sly, they always found a way to stay hidden when they didn’t want to be discovered.

“I saw something.”

“And here we go again,” Sunmi murmured under her nose, approaching the small kitchen counter with an idea of preparing some tea. It was already after midnight and she knew that once she drinks more tea, she wouldn’t be able to fall asleep later, but her sister looked a bit terrified, so who was she not to calm her a little?

“No, I mean it. I was working on a new spell, but I needed more resources than we have in our sanctuary. So, I decided to reach for my powers since it was almost impossible to visit the forest and then return back. It would take a lot of time. Halfway through the forest, on my way to the cottage, I saw something. Intruders, three of them. They cloaked themselves perfectly, so I couldn’t really tell what kind of creatures they were. But you know the saying – those who are powerful enough to cloak like this are always children of the night. So, Jimin was probably right.”

Sunmi turned to her, unreadable expression written all over her face. She was staring only, her eyes covered in a dark haze.

“We didn’t feel it.”

“What?” Sage asked, turning her attention to Sunmi. The other one was standing there, an old kettle in her hands.

“We didn’t feel when they passed the border. Every time someone enters our soil, we feel it in our bones, don’t we? Honestly, I didn’t feel anything today. Nor anyone else did, we would know.”

“That’s why.”

“That’s why what?”

“I saw them with the Old Crone. They acted like old friends. Actually, one of them used her real name. Seemed to me like he knew her on whole another level than we do. Like, more personal level. Did you know her real name was Diana? But that’s not what I meant. If they were supposed to meet the old hag in the forest, maybe that’s why we didn’t feel their presence. She is powerful enough to do whatever she wishes to do with the forest. It listens to her.”

Sunmi went quiet for a while, pouring hot water into the mugs. She didn’t bother with boiling the water. Why would she when she was a witch, perfectly capable to do so with a few precious tricks? Once the tea was ready, she handed her sister the mug, sitting opposite of her.

“It sounds like treason to me. If you think about that,” she said, her voice quiet, almost non-hearable. “Do you think it has something to do with the murder from last night? I mean, it could be the same person.”

Sage gave it the shot, but as much as she was thinking about that, there was no connection. At least not a rational one. Of course, there always was a possibility the two events could have something to do with each other, but since they had no evidence, it was too soon to jump into conclusion.

But still.

Jimin’s words somehow lingered around in the air.

“I don’t know. Probably not, though. I wouldn’t jump into conclusion since we still don’t know what is going on. And if there even is something going on. So far, we know that there was a murder and a mysterious meeting at our sacred soil. And a Strigoi with companions, according to Jimin. Let me propose an idea,” Sage said, not really sure whether the idea she was about to propose right or not. At that very moment, it was the only one shot.

“And that is?”

“We should go and see the Old Crone. Ask her ourselves. In the end, she owes us an explanation. The Forest of Forbidden is our place. Not hers.”

“Technically, we are still not sure about the area. She was already there once we arrived in London. It was her good will to let us stay.”

“That might be true, but still. Also, why are you on her side?” Sage scoffed, sipping on her tea again. It was delicious, Sunmi always knew how to prepare a good tea. Also, there must have been something more in the tea since she felt way more relaxed then she did when she arrived.

“This is not about taking a side. This is about stating facts. I stated what was given. But back to your idea. Let me tell you, we are definitely not doing that. I’m not going there; I’m not going to talk to her. She wouldn’t tell us anything. She could also accuse you of making things up. Remember, the Prophecy has been spoken. It clearly means we should focus on that and nothing else.”

Sage wanted to oppose. She wanted to tell her that something wrong was going on in London. In the end, it was Sunmi who visited her first, telling her that she was a witness of a terrible crime. And now, when she told her about the happenings in the Forest of Forbidden, she didn’t want to do shit about that.

“Fine. But something is coming. Either it’s the Prophecy or the mysterious Strigoi. Something is definitely going on.”

***

Yoongi knew he didn’t need to knock. Damn, he didn’t even ask about the address. The scent of something devious lingered around the old residence Namjoon decided to make a home for him and his brothers. For a while, he really contemplated whether it was a good idea to let him leave the fellowship all those years ago. But apparently, Namjoon made himself home, which was a good sign. Last time he saw him, he wasn’t in good condition. One of the reasons he didn’t want to let him go. On the other hand, there were the other two Kims by his side, proclaiming they will take care of him.

But Yoongi knew better. Namjoon wasn’t the one who needed to be looked after. It was the youngest one, Kim Taehyung. A man who always caused troubles when he was still a member of the Fellowship of Ephesus. He often went on a killing spree, leaving a blood stain behind himself. And what was the worst thing? Everyone knew. And no one tried to stop him. Not really.

He slid inside, a Strigoi and a Wolf following his footsteps. They were all quiet – after what happened in the Forest of Forbidden, no one wanted to talk, really. Hoseok blamed Jungkook, Jungkook blamed Yoongi and Yoongi blamed the goddamn universe for picking such companions. He could choose better, but on the other hand, he knew those two were the most loyal ones.

“I didn’t expect to see your face after all those years. How long has it been? Two hundred years? Three? Or even more? Shameless of you, Yoongi. To show your face in London after all. What do you want?”

Seokjin appeared on the upper deck overlooking the lower floor. And hell, he was pissed off someone had the guts to trespass, let alone it being a dangerous Strigoi with his companions.

“I need to talk to Namjoon,” Yoongi said, as if nothing was going on. He was always the self-confident one, not caring about the others’ opinions. The same applied in this situation.

“But Namjoon doesn’t want to talk to you,” Seokjin hissed through his teeth, his eyes sliding to the Wolf standing by Yoongi’s left side. He remembered that one clearly. Because last time he saw him, plates were flying here and there, accusations were thrown, and tears were spilled. For the love of god, he never saw his brother this broken when Hoseok decided to end things between him and Namjoon. And Namjoon didn’t take it well.

It happened in the early 16th century. Along with Spanish Inquisition established in the late 15th century, the Fellowship of Ephesus found its safe haven in Portugal. People – and the other creatures – hunted witches, burned them on the borders, satisfied smiles creeping over their features when they heard them crying in pain. A lot of them ran, of course. Those who had contacts and made friends, allowing them to board ships and run away to England. Situation there wasn’t bright, but it was still better than to burn while being impaled, somewhere on the Old Continent.

Between chasing witches and moving for a better life across Europe, a small group of vampires, werewolves and demons found their home in a small city of Porto. The building they choose as their residence was small, only being able to house ten persons. Which was more than enough for them. Yoongi decided that the rest of the members stay in the Middle East. Considering the outcoming of their decision to move to Portugal, it was a good move.

Enough. Yoongi shook his head, pushing those memories back into the box, securely locking it. If he wanted to throw the key away, he wasn’t sure.

“I don’t care about his broken heart. I’m here to talk business and future. So, Seokjin, I politely advice you to tell me where your brother is, otherwise I’m going to fight my way in. And I’m sure you won’t like the latter.”

“There’s no need to fight, _hyung_ ,” Namjoon’s voice resonated through the air, yet he kept hiding in the shadows. Which wasn’t really surprising. He sensed their presence once they crossed the street he was living at. Of course, Yoongi made an appearance after what seemed like eons ago. And of course, there must have been a reason for him to cross the sea and come all the way to London. Yoongi wasn’t the one to like traveling. He liked to stay in Romania, in one of the castles his family built. Yet, his duty didn’t let him. He was obligated to travel, visit cities after cities, meeting new people and recruiting new scouts for his growing fellowship. But all of that was decades ego. What brought him here, that was a mystery.

Namjoon stepped out, joining his older brother on the platform. They were both looking down at the newcomers, giving them not so warm welcome look. It’s been ages since Namjoon saw his old friends – let alone his old lover he has never forgotten. Just one look at Hoseok brought him the weird ache in his chest. That’s why he turned his eyes away, swallowing hardly. Damn, he was a grown up. A demon hundreds of years old. He wouldn’t fall apart like a house of cards just because there was a man he used to love, standing as if nothing was going on.

On the other hand, Hoseok was doing his best to scan the surroundings just not to look at Namjoon. Things weren’t easy and they would never be. That’s why he turned away, not giving Namjoon a single look. In the end, it was Yoongi’s business. He needed a place to stay.

Which meant Hoseok needed a place to stay as well.

“Good. I see at least some of you don’t lack the common sense. I’m not here to spill any more details. I’m here to call for a favor. Better said, to collect one. I need a place to stay for a while – along with my companions. I find your new residence more than comfortable.”

“Yoongi, are you fucking kidding us? You can’t just simply waltz in and say that you are staying.”

“The question is, Seokjin, can’t I? When your mother kicked you out of the hell, I was the one to collect your sorry asses. I gave you home and purpose. Maybe not the right one, but it was still a purpose.”

“Yeah, you told us it was okay to go on a killing spree. And now you are going to defend yourself? Collecting favors even? Who the fuck you are? Just another blood-lust vampire who needs to have his ego stroked, otherwise he will cause a war of a size of the world.”

Yoongi went quiet for a while. He even chewed on his inner cheek, toying with Seokjin’s words inside. Maybe he was right, maybe Yoongi acted like he was the almighty one. But considering the years he was walking the planet called Earth, he saved countless of lives. He recruited many lost souls, giving them a purpose, at least. And just because it didn’t work with the Kim brothers, well, it wasn’t his business anymore. They decided to leave, anyway.

“It’s in your nature, isn’t it? The bloodlust. Same as I feel when I don’t feed enough. Taehyung once told me he hears calling. It’s natural to you, my friend. So, what kind of a leader would it make me be if I banned you from listening to your inner voice? We are the creatures of the night and evil. Stop listening to your inner voice almost feels like abandoning your true essence.”

As much as he tried to deny his words, Namjoon felt them hitting the soft spot inside of him he didn’t even know he had. He turned to his older brother, nothing but shameful curiosity written all over his features.

“Maybe we should let them stay. For a while,” he said, still not sure about the words that have just left his lips. It would endanger his cooperation with the Congress. But only if they find out. Housing someone like Yoongi and his companion wouldn’t be an easy task. Creatures are very well aware of the existence of Strigoi, doing their best to avoid the true children of night. Of course, Yoongi wasn’t the only one in London, nor Jungkook. There were others, yet they politely decided to live on the outskirts, not disturbing the supernatural life of London.

Seokjin looked at him, gritting his teeth. Namjoon couldn’t be more serious. Fuck.

“No,” Seokjin said.

“Thank you,” Yoongi smirked, giving his companions a signal. Their posture immediately loosened, as they knew that they are not leaving. Jungkook was the first one to step forward, when suddenly, out of nowhere, Taehyung flew down the stairs, wrapping his arms around Jungkook’s neck.

“Jungkookie! You came back!” he yelled, holding the Strigoi hostage in his strong embrace. And that was it. The immediate end of the conversation.

***

The night fell over London, coating its streets in darkness. Only a few people were still out there, most of them drunk, stumbling over their own feet. Everyone took care of their own business, not really caring about the couple sitting in the hidden corner of a luxurious pub. Taehyung didn’t have to ask his brothers to take Jungkook out as they were still pissed over the fact Yoongi ever so easily made himself home at their residence. In real, no one noticed the two of them slipping into the night. Taehyung showed him around and when Jungkook proposed to have a good whisky, the right place immediately popped into Taehyung’s mind.

“So, tell me. What happened after you left Porto? I heard you went to Norway, but I couldn’t reach for you, as much as I was trying,” Jungkook’s voice seemed to be sad. He genuinely missed his best friend once he was persuaded to leave along with his brothers. It was unfair. Just because something went wrong between Taehyung’s middle brother and Hoseok, they had to leave Porto, finding their new home. At least Jungkook thought it was like that.

“Norway was shit, to be honest. I didn’t like it there. Namjoon picked up a small village behind the Polar Circle. _You_ would like it there,” Taehyung giggled, sipping on the golden liquid. “The polar night was amazing, though. Oh, if you could see the Aurora, Jungkookie.” 

“Aurora, huh,” Jungkook chuckled, picking up Taehyung’s gesture as he sipped on his own drink. He often found it funny, like witches started using such name for the gleaming that lingered around supernatural creatures.

“Yeah, aurora. Anyway, we didn’t stay in Norway for a long time. Seokjin wanted to stay, but Namjoon gave him reasons. The popularity of London rose, even the Congress moved its headquarters here. And you know Namjoon, he always wanted to be a part of that. Unfortunately, we demons are despised not only but humans, but the others of our kind as well. And while Namjoon pretends it’s all super top secret, we both know that he is the silent companion, doing the dirty work for them. Those fuckers act like they are high and mighty, they are using him. But he is too blind to see it. And I’m the crazy one, right,” Taehyung murmured silently, eyes pinned on the table even though he felt his friend staring a hole into his skull.

Jungkook sensed something was off Taehyung, but he knew better than to ask. Taehyung always came clean when he felt like doing so. That’s why he didn’t put any more pressure on his friend, knowing that he never had it easy.

“What about you? Did you stay in Porto or did Yoongi dragged your asses across the Europe? Honestly, it looked like something was bothering him. Something way more important than having a no place to crash at. It’s your turn, now,” Taehyung’s lips curled into a smirk, expecting Jungkook to spill the tea.

Jungkook only took a deep breath, finishing his whisky. He put the empty glass back on the table, eyes pinned on the wooden surface.

“After you left, things in the fellowship weren’t easy. Yoongi was lacking the leadership as he was always used to have Namjoon around. You know him, he doesn’t like to travel, and he doesn’t like to take care of a political things. But he is really good at it, once he is cornered. So, we moved back to Romania. He knew that the followers will listen to him, even though his leadership was cracked. Eventually, he found a right way to rule. He built his own personal army consisting of four. I can’t talk about that much; you are my friend, but he is still my boss. And revealing the sensitive information would cost me my place by his side. After he finally dealt with the loss of Namjoon, me and Hoseok became his closest companions.”

Taehyung nodded. It all made sense considering Yoongi was always the quiet one. But no one really doubted his leadership. Something must have changed a lot once the Kims disappeared.

“Stop,” Jungkook snarled.

“Stop what?” Taehyung gave him a surprised look.

“You are doubting Yoongi hyung quietly. Namjoon made a mess when he decided to leave and Yoongi had to clean up after him. He did an admirable job. And he is going to do something big. Something no one is expecting,” and that was the moment Jungkook probably said something he wasn’t supposed to say as Taehyung’s eyes gleamed with an interest he couldn’t cover.

“What exactly are you doing in London, Jungkookie?”

“It’s not my place to say, Tae. Please, don’t ask me. I can’t betray Yoongi hyung. In the end, when the right time comes, he will tell you himself, okay? Just leave it be for tonight. It’s been a long day.”

With that, the Strigoi ordered them another round of whisky. He successfully silenced his devious companion as both of them went quiet for a while, lost in their own thoughts. Jungkook was really happy to see Taehyung after more than a hundred years, but on the other hand, he knew that Taehyung’s demonic aura was dangerous. He could clearly see the new tattoo peeking from under his shirt, meaning he had to kill someone before. It was a fresh one, the black ink under his skin still shining.

“It happened again, huh? Did they scold you?” Jungkook always found it funny how overprotective the Kim brothers were over their youngest one. Seokjin knew how to deal with his powers without hurting an innocent soul, Namjoon didn’t use it at all and Taehyung… well, Taehyung was someone completely else. He always answered to the calling. Of course, as long as he was a part of the Fellowship of the Ephesus, he tried his best to control his bloodlust, his demonic actions. But when they left, Jungkook wasn’t so sure.

And since Taehyung immediately know what was Jungkook talking about, he only sighed.

“Tonight. Or early in the morning, I don’t remember well. My senses were clouded, as usual. What gave me away this time? Seokjin’s always telling me it’s my eyes, but I doubt so. A demon old like me knows how to lie and pretend.”

Except he wasn’t so sure about that.

“The tattoo.”

“Oh,” Taehyung immediately reached for the hem of his shirt, checking his skin. And really, the new tattoo already reached his collarbone as his whole back was completely covered in it. The only evidence of his doings. At first, he hated it. He hated like every single time he touched someone, every single time he took life (even though it really, really wasn’t his intention), a tattoo in a weird shape formed under his skin. But eventually, he found his inner peace with it. It was part of him. A part he couldn't really cut off.

“Does it look good?” Jungkook asked, genuinely interested in Taehyung’s answer.

“It doesn’t look like anything particular. But I like to call it a map of my soul. It’s a part of me, isn’t it? It shows the true essence living inside of me. So, I can’t really fight it or like it. It’s there and I made my peace with that. But yeah. I guess it looks badass,” he chuckled, downing the whisky in one gulp. Things with Jungkook might have been tensed a little, but he felt way more relaxed than in company of his own brothers. He understood and he did not judge him. Jungkook was a child of the night himself, he couldn’t live without fresh blood. He exactly knew the inner moral dilemma.

“You know,” Taehyung suddenly cut the train of his thoughts.

Jungkook lifted his head, giving him a questionable look.

“I’m not doing it because of the bloodlust. I’m not killing people. Damn,” he bit on his lower lip, his eyes pinned on his hands neatly folded on the table. “That’s not what I meant, of course, I’m killing. But I _don’t want to._ I never wanted to, Kookie. People are calling me, desperate as they can’t handle their lives anymore. I’m trying—I’m really trying to give them something else, something better. For past two hundred years, I’ve been trying to change them. I’ve been thinking that maybe—maybe if there were more creatures like me, the life will be better.”

“Kim Taehyung! In what goddamn universe do you live?! You cannot just walk around and experiment on people. Didn’t you realize that your little magic tricks might not be working? You know, you damn know that you can’t do such thing without a blessing from the Congress. Not even a Strigoi can’t turn another person into a vampire without their permission. And we aren’t even part of that goddamn high society!”

Taehyung scoffed, completely done.

“Just when I thought someone could finally understand. Looks like I was wrong. Again.”

Jungkook noticed the sorrow tangled within his silent voice. Okay, he was probably way too harsh with him when Taehyung only tried to confess to him. He probably didn’t even tell his brothers as he was unable to hold Jungkook’s gaze. Life could get so unfair sometimes, considering you weren’t able to confess to your own family. It then struck Jungkook that Taehyung only tried to do a good deed. He tried to help those people, in his own twisted way. But it still counted.

“Look, I didn’t mean it like that, I’m sorry. I guess I spent a lot of time in Yoongi’s presence, so I easily judge people around. Tae, I seriously didn’t mean it like that. You only tried to help, right?” Jungkook asked him, a little bit worried. Taehyung has always been a soft creature, his mind easily breakable. The last thing he wanted was to hurt him somehow.

“It’s fine. I haven’t told anyone yet. I guess it’s only natural you wouldn’t understand. I only wanted you to know that I’m trying. But sometimes, things just don’t go the way we want them to go, right. Maybe I should be like Seokjin, descending to hell every time I feel the urge to do it again. Or maybe I could learn some tricks from Namjoon. He doesn’t use it at all. Life would be much easier that way, wouldn’t it?”

“There’s only way to find out, my friend.”

“But I’m scared to do it alone, you know. My brothers are always like ‘yeah, we will help you, just ask for it’ and shit. It doesn’t feel right, though.”

“Well, who said we are leaving soon? I can certainly help you. You will only have to adjust to my lifestyle.”

“Meaning going to sleep when sun rises and getting up when it sets down? Been a while since I’ve done something like that, but I’m not against. Not at all, to be honest.”

In that moment, a promise was made. And in that moment, Taehyung got another hope; hope for a better life, hope for finally fighting his bloodlust and his weird and twisted urge to help the others. Ones who called for him.

“Thank you, really.”

“Oh, Taehyungie. Never thank a vampire. Never.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because he was right.
> 
> Coming back home never felt so good.

Yoongi couldn’t sleep. The bed was uncomfortable and the noise coming from the outside was getting on his nerves. Vampires usually slept during the day, but since he was used to travel the world a lot – and also the weather in London was perfect for a Strigoi to walk down the streets – he simply decided that sleeping just wasn’t for him today. He got up from the very uncomfortable bed Namjoon provided him with once he announced he and his companions are staying. Of course, his old friend wasn’t excited about their unexpected arrival, nor he was found of the idea of them staying. Yet, something deep inside made him agree with Yoongi, therefore having a small fight with Seokjin.

He quickly slipped into the clean clothes he managed to bring with him. As he was putting it on, he peeked outside the window, watching people slowly milling through the streets. He was still surprised Namjoon and his brothers chose such a place with a frequent traffic. Demons always like their privacy, but for some reason, Namjoon decided this was the right place for them. And who knows, maybe there was another reason for such a decision.

Shaking his head in pure disbelief that he, the almighty Min Yoongi, ever so easily got distracted by thoughts of his former companion, he left the room silently, not bothering with putting to coat on. No one knew him in London and since it was a gloomy day, he was safe from getting killed by the sun rays.

“Going out for an adventure?” a tiny little voice hit his senses once he was about to cross the threshold. He immediately turned to the direction from where the voice was coming from, squirming his eyes. Of course, Jungkook was standing in the shadows, his face emotionless. There was no trace of yesterday’s Jungkook, he turned into the cold one, the one who always answered to Yoongi’s commands. An obedient soldier.

“The city and I doesn’t know each other. Yet. Diana said there’s a safe haven for witches, so I was thinking about checking the place.”

“ _Hyung_ , that’s really reckless idea. Not to mention it’s quite dangerous. Witches might be friends with Moroi, but once a Strigoi shows up at their door sill, I don’t think they will be thrilled to see you. Especially when you are stubborn enough to show your face to the world.”

“I see that you had a great time with Taehyung last night, didn’t you? Otherwise you wouldn’t be so daringly speaking to your elder. Jungkook, you know that I treasure out partnership, our friendship. But you should know your place. It was my idea, that’s why I am doing this alone. This time.”

“It was really stupid idea. I understand your desire to be the part of something bigger, _hyung_ , but think about it. We are already big enough. We are feared, creatures are lining up at your doorstep back in Romania, greedy to join our fellowship. Yet, you had to leave and drag us here, to the so-called capital of the supernatural world. Which is stupid, in my opinion. Can’t we just go home, _hyung_? I really want to go home,” Jungkook admitted, his eyes pinned to the floor. If someone was listening to them right now, Yoongi couldn’t tell. The house was oddly quiet, not even breathing of the other was hearable. But he was sure they were there. In the end, it was their home.

And Jungkook has just revealed a tiny little bit of Yoongi’s intention, of his plans that were based here, in London.

“No. We can’t go home until our part of the deal is fulfilled. I promised something and I’m a man of my word. I wouldn’t make it that far, don’t you think? Now, go. Find Hoseok and do what I told you to do last night before we arrived. It needs to be done before Sunday, otherwise it’s completely useless. Go, Jungkook. Don’t make me tell you twice.”

With those words, Jungkook simply vanished away. Yoongi didn’t know where the younger one teleported to, probably somewhere where Hoseok was. And he didn’t care, honestly. All he wanted was the work to be already done.

He slipped out of the door like a shadow, blending within people strolling down the street. It’s been a while since he was in a crowd this big, the scent of humans near him attacking his senses like a little army. If he wasn’t an old vampire, he doubted he would be able to control his bloodlust. Yet, it wasn’t that bad, he fed before they reached England – which was almost a week ago, but it was still fine. Also, Namjoon told him that in this city, it’s banned to feed directly from humans, which was something alien to Yoongi since he had his own little coven providing him with fresh blood. Great goals in his life came with a great sacrifice. But he could make it. Hopefully.

His steps led him through streets and plazas, places hidden and famous, completely empty and then suddenly so crowded. He didn’t like crowded places, not really, but once he reached a place full of stalls, he was left mesmerized. It wasn’t a typical market as it was full of magic. Well, mundane magic, but still strong enough for him to sense it. Vampires weren’t so sensitive to it, not like witches were. They only felt the slight fibers vibrating in the air, indicating the place was full of magic.

And this place was basically glowing. The gleam wasn’t visible, though, signaling the place was free of another creatures. Meaning, he was free to roam around – even though he would roam around in presence of the other creatures as well. He approached the first stall full of with what seemed like talismans against jinx. A young woman stood there, beautiful and charismatic. Once Yoongi came closer, she immediately started talking to him, completely ignoring his red eyes piercing her. She tried her best to sell him a bracelet made of enchanted threads. It was supposed to protect him from the evil. But little did she know he was the evil himself.

So, he only shook his head, approaching another one. He circled the whole plaza, taking interest in things people were selling there. It surprised him how resourceful they were in most cases, and it also amused him when one of the older vendors tried to sell him a sack of garlic and a stake. How pathetic. But then the man saw Yoongi’s eyes and he immediately backed off.

“My apologies, sir,” he bowed a little, not even looking at the vampire standing in front of him anymore. Yoongi only scoffed internally. Humans, so typical of them, at least of those who were aware of vampires living amongst them. He was about to say something when he sensed a strong bolt of energy. His head immediately snapped to the direction – and there she was, one of the members of London’s coven, dancing through the crowd of people as if it was the most basic thing ever. Her long blonde hair peeked from under the hood she had pulled down into her face. She probably didn’t want anyone to recognize her, he judged by her appearance. There was something about her, something that made him dance through the crowd of the people, like a predator hunting down its prey, slowly and unexpectedly.

In long years of his life, he had met many witches before. He even witnessed burning them, which wasn’t pleasant, but he also promised not to mingle with mundane business. If they decided to burn them, be it. But this one, this certain one seemed like a trouble. She wouldn’t burn. She would be the one to set the others on fire.

While he was lost in his thoughts, she disappeared from his sight. He turned around, a pang of panic itching in his chest as he couldn’t focus on her anymore. He was stupid to go out just like that, when he was supposed to be sleeping. It was noon, highly unnatural hour for Strigoi vampires to be out, in the streets. And then he felt it, a soft tap on his shoulder, catching him completely off guard. He turned around, only to see the tiny witch standing in front of him.

“Are you crazy?” she asked him, and he immediately felt corners of his lips curling upward. She was daring, he liked it.

“Why would I be crazy? London is a free city; England is a free country. And if you failed to notice, this is a place full of magic. Is it that surprising to see a vampire of my kind out there?” he asked, giving her look he wasn’t completely sure about, but what was done couldn’t be undone, right. She frowned, finally lifting her hood so he could see her face. She looked young; she couldn’t be a witch for such a long time. Witches looking like her were usually in their seventies, maybe eighties. But again, she was a member of the only one complete coven. Her appearance could be lying.

“Vampires, always full of yourselves, right? What are you doing here? You are clearly not an Englishman. A lone Strigoi out here at noon, that’s quite suspicious. What are your intentions?”

Woah, she was pretty much straight with calling him out. But then again, she was a witch and she considered this city to belong to her. It wasn’t surprising she asked questions – and wanted her answers immediately. There was something in her eyes – suspicion and something that reminded him of a fear. Good. She was afraid of him. That was always a right step to make – to leave his prey trembling with dread. And the more he was watching her, the more interested in her he grew. She seemed to be ready to fight him, but at the same time, she was ready to collect her belongings and bolt away in a speed of light. Was it possible she knew? No, no, fuck no. Definitely no. Yes, he arrived in England a week ago, but it was highly impossible for anyone to know who he was. Except of his followers, of course. She was still someone else, she couldn’t tell, he was sure.

But her look, the way she was staring at him, there was something odd about it.

“I don’t know by what measurements you judge there’s something I want to do, but let me tell you, little one,” he leaned closer, completely towering over her. “Even if I had any, it’s none of your business what my intentions are.”

She took a step back while having her lower lip held hostage by her teeth. Yet, she never broke the eye contact they were holding. Daring little witch, for fuck’s sake. He already knew that another visit in the Forest of Forbidden has been needed as this one gave him a vibe of a strong fighter. If all of them were like her, there’s no chance his work will be done anytime soon.

“You better be careful who are you talking to. And how are you talking to them. London might be the capital of supernatural, but it’s not very welcoming city. It is already crowded with creatures. We don’t need anyone else to snoop around.”

He barked out a laugh. She was so funny with her posture and the way she was ready to throw hands anytime soon.

“Sweetheart, I’m not interested in London. There are way more interesting things. Keep your city if you want to, I don’t need it,” he said while clicking his tongue, giving her one last look. It was time to leave – before he reveals more than he wants to. But something was keeping him in one place, staring at the little witch standing in front of him. A fighter – for her coven and her city.

“Then you better get the hell out,” she murmured, her voice silent but still dangerous.

“I can’t provide you with such a favor. But let me see what I can do, okay?” the atmosphere was tensed enough before both of them felt the vibrating again. Their supernatural senses kicked in in a speed of light, their heads snapping into the same direction. And there they were, in the hidden corner of the market, a Moroi and an air-bound witch, exchanging something more than just a brief information. She reached her hand for him, cupping his cheek in a loving gesture, completely unaware of the aurora lingering around them.

“That son of a bitch--”

“I’m going to kill her--”

The witch and the Strigoi muttered at the same time, looking back at each other in pure astonishment. Yoongi wasn’t surprised Sage was disgusted by the display of affection of her sister in blood and coven, but Sage was surprised by Yoongi’s sudden outburst of emotions when he saw the Moroi in the company of her close friend.

“Do _you_ know Park Jimin?” she asked him, a little more suspicious than before. Now it was a perfect time to smoke away now. He only clicked his tongue, so many answers forming on his lips, but he let out neither of them.

“I think we will meet again. I’ll make sure of it.”

***

“I don’t know if you went completely crazy or what, but I think you lost it today. Someone could have seen you two together! You shone like a beacon; I was surprised even Dye didn’t make an appearance. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Sage kept pacing around the small kitchen, making her sister even more nervous by the questions she was bombarding her with. Sunmi sat there like a punished small child, eyes pinned to the floor. After her little escapade has been revealed, Sage made sure to take them back to her house, using her powers to teleport not only her, but Sunmi as well. At first, Sunmi thought it would tire her to the point she wouldn’t be able to speak, but it was quite the right opposite. Sage felt the outburst of energy, reminding more of a caged animal than a witch.

The happenings at the plaza took a quick action. The Strigoi disappeared the moment she asked him about Park Jimin. However, he didn’t forget to promise her to see her again. As if she wanted to, really. Actually, as much as his company was disturbing her, she was glad when he chose to disappear, leaving her to deal with that shit alone. She quickly approached the couple in the hidden corner of the plaza, appearing almost out of nowhere. She could swear to god Sunmi squealed out loud when Sage approached them, one really furious look plastered on her face.

“What the hell do you think you are doing?” she asked them, not quite sure who was the question aimed for.

“I told you it’s not a good idea,” Jimin murmured, leaning into Sunmi closer than Sage would like. But considering the fact that she has been seeing someone behind their backs for quite some time already, she really shouldn’t be the one to judge here.

That was basically it. Jimin smoked away, leaving Sunmi alone with Sage. The two of them then decided to leave the premises, seeking a more private place to continue in this conversation. Even though Sunmi didn’t really want to. They ended up at Sage’s place, sipping on some black tea while remaining silent. Sage asked her questions, never getting her answers. It didn’t make her mad, though. She knew that Sunmi would eventually come around. If not now, later it was.

“I think this needs more than just a tea, what do you think?” Sage spoke suddenly. Sunmi shot her a not so nice look, scrunching her nose.

“I don’t know if I even want to think about… things. Does it make sense?”

“In a certain way, it does,” Sage shrugged, reaching for an upper cabinet to take out a small bottle of what seemed like water.

But it definitely wasn’t an ordinary water.

She poured the liquid into two small cups, stretching out her hand to give one to Sunmi. She sniffed to it, immediately scrunching her nose again.

“No way in hell I am going to drink this. Is it some kind of a poison? Do you want to get rid of me now that you uncovered my deepest and darkest secret?”

“If hooking up with a vampire is your deepest and darkest secret, then I’m pretty much disappointed in you.”

Sunmi barked out a small laugh for the first time since they arrived. It made Sage a little bit more relaxed. She might have acted like a bitch before, when she found out what was really happening with the Informant and her close friend – and again, it wasn’t her place to judge. When it came to love and feelings, no one was in right to judge.

But there was still that one thing she wanted to discuss with Sunmi. Something that was bothering her, leaving her re-thinking it again and again. Jimin warned them about the new Strigoi in town, and suddenly the new Strigoi appeared out of nowhere, even knowing Jimin’s name. The coincidence was strange and funny simultaneously.

“Drink up,” Sage said, downing the bittersweet liquid in one gulp. Sunmi followed her lead, almost smashing the empty glass against the table.

“Admit it, you are trying to get me drunk just to get me talk some more, am I right, sister?” she looked at the older one, curiosity mirroring in her eyes. Sage only shrugged, pretending not to know what did the younger one mean.

“I’m not trying to do anything besides seeking the truth. Ever since Dye told us about the Prophecy, things have gone to shit. Demons are lurking, some unknown Strigoi is walking the streets of London during the day and don’t let me forget about that weird meeting in the Forest of Forbidden, because—” it was then when it struck her, like a lightning in the middle of a sunny day.

“You just realized something, right?”

“No. No, I didn’t, really. It’s a stupid idea,” Sage shook her head, reaching for the bottle to pour them another round. It must have been a really funny scenario, two witches sitting by the table, sipping on some kind of alcohol neither of them was sure about. They were definitely not worth of the ‘lady’ title.

“Tell me.”

“It’s just too many coincidences happening at the same time. I was thinking that maybe, just maybe, the Strigoi from the Forest of Forbidden was the same I met today. That would make sense. But what doesn’t make sense is Jimin, warning us about the said vampire and then the vampire suddenly knows his name. Like this is crazy, so crazy.”

“Wait, no one said Jimin knows that vampire as well. Vampires know each other as there’s not much of them left, neither Moroi nor Strigoi ones. It’s only natural that the one you met knew Jimin’s name. In the end, he is the Informant,” the way Sunmi talked turned to be more offensive than he first intended to, but somehow, she felt hurt. Sage tried to shade Jimin and she didn’t like it. The Moroi did nothing wrong – besides leaking information for money. And other information.

“Hey, slow down. I’m not blaming nor shading him. I’m just trying to put the pieces together. But as much as I’m trying, it doesn’t make sense, so we should just leave it—”

High pitched scream pierced the air, cutting the conversation off. It came out of nowhere, unexpected, sweeping the witches off their feet as they kept staring at each other. None of them were ready to feel something like that so soon. This shouldn’t happen. It wasn’t a part of the Prophecy, the one was related only to their queen, Dye. Being a part of a witch coven meant a strong bond. They didn’t usually share their emotions; howsoever strong they were. Though, they shared another ability. They were able to feel when one of them dies. And now the moment came.

This was a death of their sister, a member of their coven. She was probably dying in pain as all of them felt it, the throbbing ache in the middle of their chests. The pain settled down in their core, digging a hole into their very essence. It grew bigger and bigger, unstoppable as a natural disaster.

“Who?” Sage asked silently. She slowly crawled to her feet, leaning against the table. She realized Sunmi reached for the key on the chain around her neck, holding it tightly against her heart.

“The fire keeper.”

***

“I can’t believe this was worth the trouble. Do you have a slightest idea of how hard it was to trace some witch in the middle of the day? She put on a fight, almost burning me alive,” Jungkook scoffed, looking down at his hands. Burns covered his skin, turning it into ugly and painful blisters. Not that he was bothered. With his immune system, he is going to be fine in a day or two. He was just pissed he had to do the dirty work again. While Yoongi was occupying Namjoon’s office, slowly turning it into his own. Jungkook was sure Namjoon didn’t adore the idea.

And while the younger one was pissed off, Yoongi played with the small key his subordinate brought him. Jungkook didn’t understand the power this little thing bore. Yoongi only knew briefly about the element keys. But it was a basic information that only a full coven holds them hostage. Each key had its own guardian, depending on an element the witch was gifted with. And now he was lucky enough to put his hands on a fire key – at least he thought it was a fire one. According to Jungkook’s whining, it must be one.

“Was this a part of your deal?” Hoseok asked from his place by the window, his eyes trailing people outside. He was there when Jungkook got rid of the witch. He will forever remember the piercing scream the witch let out when she was dying. Not even animals died like that, screaming in utter pain, probably asking some higher power for help. But she did. And he will never forget.

“No, it was not,” Yoongi decided to be honest with his companions. It was the only way to keep their relationship trustworthy. In the end, they were the ones who decided to stick by his side once Namjoon and his brothers left their fellowship.

Speaking about the devil, Namjoon peeked inside, a sign of relief washing over his face once he saw the three men together.

“Good, I see you are home. I need to talk to you about something,” he said as he silently slipped inside, closing the door gently behind him. Three heads immediately snapped into his direction, giving him odd looks. Jungkook was still pissed off, Hoseok was lost in his thoughts and Yoongi was genuinely interested in what Namjoon wanted to tell them.

“There was an accident earlier today.”

“Here we go again. _Hyung_ , tell him. He let us crash at his place, he deserves to know why we are here,” Hoseok murmured under his nose. He knew all of the present in the room could hear him perfectly and without any troubles. And even though Namjoon deserved to know, he still didn’t look his way.

“Tell me what, Yoongi?” Namjoon turned to the vampire sitting in his armchair. Yoongi seemed to make himself comfortable in those few hours he already spent in his residence.

“We killed the witch.”

Simple as that, Yoongi decided not to hide the truth, not even from Namjoon.

“I killed the witch. Stop stealing my credit,” Jungkook pouted. It was then when Namjoon realized his skin was covered in blisters. The demon took a step back, replying the words in his mind all over again. The three men occupying his office have just confessed to the crime that is most probably going to be investigated by the Congress. Were they even realizing what they have just done?

“The Congress— they will come after you once they know what happened. You cannot just walk into my city and kill innocent, Yoongi!”

Yoongi only scoffed, shaking his head.

“What’s with you Londoners, claiming this city as if it was your own? First the witch in the morning and now you.”

“Did you talk to a witch?”

“I did. She was interesting and I was toying with the idea of keeping her. She might come handy for the fellowship later. I am wondering, how would it feel to have a witch once I bend her will?” he let his thoughts roll down his tongue. He completely ignored the others as he came back to the morning meeting in his mind. He clearly remembered how she appeared out of nowhere, tiny little woman with a big fighting spirit burning inside of her. She would make a perfect fighter for his personal army. But those were only thoughts, foolish little-big dreams of his. He turned back to Namjoon, his facial features softening a little when he saw the fear mirroring in his old friend’s eyes.

“I was called here, Namjoon. Diana called me. Apparently, she had a vision – witches call it a Prophecy. Their queen is slowly losing her mind, but you know witches. They are like bees; they will protect their queen no matter what. It could reach the point London will be destroyed. They will turn it into ashes along with every single living soul. Supernatural included. That’s why Diana called me. She asked me to take care of this matter. In return, I will get something I’ve always wanted so much.”

There was only one thing Yoongi ever wanted, Namjoon was sure about that.

“The Congress. You want to conquer the Congress.”

“Oh no, my dear friend. I don’t want to conquer. I simply want to be a part of that. We, Strigoi, have been oppressed for centuries. As you may know, my friend, only Moroi are allowed to be members of the Congress. I’m going to change what. Of course, with a little help of my other old friend, the Old Crone. I heard it’s a name she is known by now. She promised me the place in the Congress. I can speak on your behalf as well. If you are still interested to be a part of it. I heard you are a silent companion now.”

Namjoon gasped when the words filled the already tensed air in the room. He was trying to stay undercover, so no one knew what he was doing. No one except his brothers, of course. But somehow, his doings reached even Romania. It shouldn’t be surprising him. Yoongi always knew how to snoop out information. Whether it was his doing or he did it through someone else.

“All of that… just because of a place in the Congress. Is that all you want, Yoongi? Are you really that greedy? How is it even possible? She is old, facing the death every day. She can die anytime soon. How can you be so sure she will give you what you want?”

“Because she was the one who helped to build the Congress. She stood there when it was built from the very scratch. She might not be a member now, but she still has a word she can give on my behalf. I’m not doing it just because of me, Namjoon. I’m doing it for my kind, for my fellowship. After being hunted for centuries, after we were excluded from the supernatural world, we deserve a recognition. We deserve to have a word; we deserve to finally be accepted. And if it means wiping out a coven, that could eventually destroy London, then I’m going to do it. Namjoon, I think it’s time for you to return to the fellowship. I—I don’t think I can do this alone. I will need your help. Yours. And Seokjin’s. And Taehyung’s as well.”

Namjoon grew more and more shocked with each Yoongi’s word. He was just standing there, staring at the vamp sitting in his armchair, spilling word after word as if nothing happened. As if he just didn’t confess to a crime his underling committed. He shook his head, still in pure disbelief.

“I don’t think you need my help, _hyung_. You said it yourself, you killed a witch today. Apparently a really significant one, judging by the little thing you’ve been playing with all along. Is that another reason you are doing it? Tell me what you are not telling me, and then I might consider.”

Namjoon has always been good at reading people. He saw the hidden truth, something the others couldn’t or wouldn’t tell him. Yoongi didn’t know whether it was one of his demonic gifts or just a trait of his character, nevertheless, a smirk creeped over his lips as he nodded in approval.

“You were always the smart one, weren’t you, Namjoon? You see things others don’t. I’ve always liked this trait of yours. To answer your question – of course, there is something more in this hire. I’ve only overheard it, but the more I’m thinking about that, the more I believe it’s true. There are keys. Elemental keys,” he said, his voice deeper than the Marianas Trench as he looked at the key he has been playing with up until now. It was small and warm, almost burning his hand the more he kept gripping on it. “Only a full coven possesses them. Well, not anymore. It’s been said that once you get hold of all of them, you will acquire a great power. That’s why they are divided between witches and not only one person. Because when you have them all, you are able manipulate with the past and the future. They open the door to the other worlds. And I want to see them. So, yes. There’s something more about my job here, in London. I’ve already started and I’m not going to leave until I’m done.”

The room fell silent, not even breathing of the present was hearable. Namjoon didn’t know what to say and Hoseok with Jungkook knew better to keep their mouths shut. Right now, it was only up to Namjoon to decided what he should do. Honestly, he didn’t feel ready to make such a decision. Not when there still were his brothers, probably somewhere in the residence. Probably listening, too. He could already see the shitstorm coming from Seokjin. On the other hand, his oldest brother would be probably thrilled to re-join the fellowship. He always considered them to be a home – after they lost their real one.

“They won’t go down without a fight. You are underestimating them if you think they are weak. They are not. And they will protect their queen until the end,” Namjoon told him, his voice gravely low.

“I know. And I’m ready to fight for my goals as well. Now it’s up to you. You’ve already let us stay at your residence. Will you help us next? As a member of our fellowship?”

“Let me discuss it with my brothers. I will let you know then.”

But he was too late. Door to the office opened, revealing Seokjin standing there along with Taehyung in his shadow, his persona small, almost invisible. He was hiding behind his big brother, not ready for a discussion that was about to happen anytime soon. As much as Taehyung was thrilled to re-join them as well, he didn’t like the plan. And he didn’t like what he learned about his long-lost best friend. So, this was what Jungkook rejected to tell him night before, right?

“Do you really think you can waltz into London and kill one of the members of the most valuable witch coven?” Seokjin asked him, his arms crossed over his chest as he was towering over them all. He was still the older one, the shadow of authority was lingering over him, hugging his delicate features.

“I just did.”

“ _I did_ , hyung,” Jungkook murmured from his place in the shadows, a visible pout forming on his features. Taehyung shot him a look, but as soon as their eyes met, Jungkook dodged, biting on his lower lip nervously. Which wasn’t a wise idea. His fangs gently pierced the skin, causing blood to run down his chin and neck. Yoongi gave him one disturbed look before his attention shifted back to the newcomers. Other than that, Jungkook has been completely ignored.

“It’s all part of a bigger plan. You were with me once. We shared a dream, didn’t we?” he asked, his voice suddenly so small and vulnerable. He let himself wander back to the past, when they were still young and full of hope. The world was unfair and hard, there was no place for creatures like they were. That’s why the Fellowship of Ephesus had been formed. To give home. And hope.

“Besides,” Seokjin babbled as if he wasn’t listening at all. “Do you really trust that old hag called Diana? Do you really believe she will give you what you want? And what about the keys? Do you think she will let you get away with them? This is too shady, even for you, Yoongi.”

“Diana doesn’t care about the keys. Namjoon said it himself – she is old, facing the death, probably waiting for its arms to embrace her for good. She couldn’t care less when I told her I want to possess them all. Actually, I think she gave me a blessing.”

“She certainly didn’t give you a blessing, _hyung_. She just didn’t care. Once the coven is wrecked, she will probably disappear. Or weren’t you listening to her words? Didn’t you feel it? She is sick of this world, sick of where it is heading. She _wants_ to die,” Hoseok spoke out of nowhere. Namjoon almost jumped when he heard his voice coming from the corner of the room. The wolf remained silent then, almost blending with the wall.

Yoongi only rolled his eyes. Okay, she didn’t give him a blessing, but she also wasn’t against his idea of owning the keys. Which only gave him the sign to go.

“I’m not going to discuss this matter anymore. All of you now know what I’m going to do. And I will admit shamelessly – I will need all of you. Including you, Seokjin. And you as well, Taehyung. Honestly, you might have left the fellowship, but for me, you never stopped to be members. Namjoon, you helped me to build this, with your bare hands. And as much as I hate to call you out just like this, I need you to come back home.”

Namjoon had to admit – Yoongi was right. The history of their relationship went all the way back to the history. Also, he never really left the fellowship, Yoongi told him the moment Namjoon announced he will leave along with his brothers – he would always be a member.

“You always knew how to break people, Yoongi _hyung_ ,” it was Taehyung’s turn to speak up. He came closer to the vampire sitting in Namjoon’s seat, giving him a cold look. Yet, there was something more behind his green irises – because Taehyung exactly knew the desire to be recognized. And Yoongi was offering him one, a recognition beyond his wishful thinking.

“I still don’t like this idea. Even though coming back home seems like a good _idea_ ,” such surprising words came out of Seokjin’s mouth. Because yes, it felt good having his family back, but not under such circumstances.

“You would come back home one way or another, Seokjin. I gave you time to settle down, now it’s your time to pay be back.”

“Did you expect us to pay you back?” Namjoon asked, his eyebrow cockily raised. Yoongi only shook his head. Expecting wasn’t something on his mind, even though it made a perfect sense.

“No. I just want you to come back home.”

Come back home. Yoongi’s words turned out to be a soft confession. In the end, he never was as rough as he pretended to be. Namjoon always knew it only was a façade of his, maybe a defense mechanism. That deep down, Yoongi cared about their family – that wasn’t a blood family at all. Yet, over the years, they forged a strong brotherhood, having each other’s backs.

“Fine.”

Seokjin’s final words made his brothers to look in his direction, quite surprised looks plastered over their faces. He didn’t like making decisions when it came to something like this. But in this situation, it was needed. And as the oldest brother, he had the final word.

“Seokjin, are you serious?” Taehyung asked, his eyes basically gleaming with excitement. Re-joining his family sounded like a remedy. He was step closer to getting better.

“Do I look like I have a choice?” he asked, his voice cold and low, almost making the temperature in the room to drop.

“Stop being such a drama queen, Seokjin. We all know that you are the happiest to be back,” Yoongi murmured, a small smirk forming on his lips.

At that moment, Seokjin hated him so much.

Because he was right.

Coming back home never felt so good.


	5. Chapter 5

“You are showing every sign of weakness you promised you would never show, fairy little one,” he murmured silently. It was hard for him to see her like him, even more being the one to accompany her to the place of happening. Sunday it was, surprisingly sunny day considering it was late autumn, therefore the weather in London really sucked. Moreover, he was feeling exhausted. The sun was not affecting him the way it did Strigoi vampires, but still. All his body desired at the moment was a warm bed and preferably closed curtains.

But she needed him. He knew it the second she knocked on his door – which she would never before. To visit each other’s homes, it was forbidden. However, once he opened the door, his hair messy and eyes bloodshot, he knew something went wrong, she didn’t even need to tell him.

“The coven is gone,” she whispered, her eyes pinned to her feet. She looked so vulnerable, he was scared to reach his arm for her and touch her. Such a simple gesture could easily break her, he was more than sure about that.

“What—what do you mean the coven is gone? You are still standing in front of me?” he asked dumbfoundedly. It was still early in the morning and he doubted his brain was already in function. Her words confused him, basically catching him off guard. Did something happen while he was asleep? Of course, he knew that the fellowship already reached the outskirts of London. Damn, maybe even more. He saw Yoongi with his own eyes yesterday – doing his best to pretend he didn’t see him at all, even though he knew the older one sensed him around. He always did with his underlings. Jimin might have not been one fully, but Yoongi had his own ways.

Jimin really did hope it wasn’t too late to warn the witches, to alert them to be careful around the newcomers. Family or not, Min Yoongi was a dangerous man and once someone waltzed into the direction of his interest, they certainly didn’t end up well.

“It’s not full anymore. The firekeeper is gone. Are you going to fucking make me wait in your doorstep or can I come inside? I haven’t realized I need a special invitation. You made it crystal clear that—”

Okay, she was definitely upset. And Jimin was one of those men who didn’t know how to deal with an upset woman, even though he always tried his best.

“Come,” he murmured, for the sake of his neighbors. He blended perfectly into the community he was living within and he certainly didn’t need them to accuse him of being the loud nice-looking guy next door.

Sunmi quickly stepped inside, hanging the coat on a hanger next to the door. She shamelessly approached the room down the hall that Jimin used as a saloon, to welcome his guest and host noble parties. Right now, it was empty, some of the equipment already lying under the layer of dust. It’s been a while since Jimin hosted his last party. He grew tired of people and their intrigues. They only came to feast (aka to eat the food he didn’t even eat and to drink the wine he drank, but not much, since it was making him nauseous the next day. Cons of being a vampire).

“Will you tell me what’s going on? You better tell me before you cause a small tornado smashing my precious things. What’s going on?”

Really, it wouldn’t be the first time her fiery persona caused something like that. He clearly remembered the one time when she came, all pissed off, the wind whirling around her ankles as she made her way deeper to his residence. It took him a week to clean up after her. A real natural disaster she was. Yet, he knew there was something more about her.

This time wasn’t any different.

“I didn’t know where else to go, I’m sorry,” she said when she finally made herself comfortable on a loveseat. He liked that one. He liked spending some quality time with her on that one. But dirty thoughts aside, some serious shit must have gone down when she went all the way through London to his residence.

“I told you countless times, you are always welcome here. Now tell me, Sun. What happened? You are scaring the shit out of me, to be honest. What do you mean – the coven is gone? How can it be gone when you are still here?”

“You don’t understand,” she murmured silently, more to herself than to answer his question, honestly. Jimin just stood there, confused. He tried to grasp the situation, but there was no use for that.

“I probably don’t, that’s why I’m asking you,” he shrugged, approaching the tiny witch sitting in the loveseat. He took the remaining place next to her, fighting the inner urge to just wrap his arms around her and hold her closer. But something stopped him. A tiny little voice in his core told him to leave her alone. She seemed she needed some.

“The fire keeper is dead. It happened yesterday, a few hours after we visited the market together. Sage took me away, probably to give me a lecture about being out there with you. It happened then, I felt her dying. It was awful. She must have been in pain, it was terrible. I still—” her voice broke down as she curled into a ball, a lone tear rolling down her cheek. That was a go for Jimin, to wrap his arms around her, to hold her closer, to assure her it will be okay even though both of them knew it won’t.

The coven wasn’t gone, but it wasn’t complete anymore. It disturbed the fragile power they held over London – that everyone knew about, but no one really dared to speak out loud about. In case this information is leaked out, well, Jimin didn’t really want to imagine such a scenario.

He had so many questions but almost no answers, and it was driving him nuts. He wanted to know more, however, snooping around wasn’t an option right now. So, he remained silent, only holding the witch in his arms, gently letting her deal with her grief. It took her ages until she collected herself, wiping the tears away from her eyes. He knew that she wouldn’t want to be seen like this – broken and vulnerable when she turned from a powerful witch to a fragile woman with a broken heart. None of them wanted to look breakable in front of the other supernatural. Whether they were lovers or not.

“What should I do?” he asked silently, breaking the comfortable silence that coated the room. She only looked at him. She wasn’t crying anymore, yet her eyes were shining with tears she fought oh so bravely.

“Come with me.”

“To where, my dear?”

“To the Forest of Forbidden. We are going to say goodbye today and I don’t think I can make it alone. If I know you are present there somewhere… hidden in the shadows—It’s going to make me feel better.”

Such words leaving her lips left him shook. Most probably it wasn’t a wise idea. The forest was their place, almost a sacred one none of the other supernatural dared to cross. And right now, she asked him to go with her, to keep her a company while she will be mourning her dead sister. It sounded so bad yet so right at the same time. He wanted to be there for her, but for some reason, he thought it would be better if she just went alone.

But her eyes.

Her damn eyes.

That girl was doing some serious wonders to him and he couldn’t fight her anymore. That’s why, without second thinking, he found himself nodding to her request. And that’s how he found himself walking down the already paved path through the Forest of Forbidden.

“I think all of us have the right to feel weak and actually show it to the world. I’ve just lost someone so important to me. It’s not like things are going to change overnight,” she muffled through her teeth, completely done with his extra ass. She asked him to come with her because she cared about him and because she really, really liked him.

“Excuse my behavior then, fairy little one. I didn’t want to hurt you, not in any way possible,” he shook his head, abruptly stopping. The gleam lingering around grieving witches grew more and more visible, giving him the silent sign to stop.

“I can’t go any further, they will know I’m here,” he whispered silently. She made a face as she was not pleased with his words, but she understood. As much as withes were grieving right now, they could still feel if someone disrupted their sacred space.

“Can I see you later?”

The question that has never been asked before suddenly filled the small space between the two of them. He looked at her with a genuine small smile forming on his lips, unable to do anything else but nod.

“I will wait for you at my place. Show up anytime you want. I’ll be there.”

With that, she left. No touch, no kiss, not even a silent goodbye. She turned on her heel, approaching what seemed to be the left of the London’s coven. Jimin stood there in utter silence, not even breathing. He was used to doing all of those human-like gestures like breathing and blinking, gasping and so, but once he was left alone, he turned into a statue, just standing there, his eyes sliding her disappearing figure. Although he couldn’t see her anymore, he could still sense her. She was out there, with her sisters, grieving and most probably crying.

He was about to turn on his heel as well, to leave this place that was suddenly much more unwelcoming than before, when he felt the sudden presence behind his beck. He turned – only to see the man he hasn’t seen in ages. He was casually standing there, as if he just didn’t cross the border of something so sacred and personal.

“What are you doing here?” he asked the newcomer while raising his brow. No, he wasn’t surprised. In the end, he already knew Yoongi and his underlings are in London.

“Spare me from spilling details before I have a proper lunch. The question is, what are _you_ doing here? Are you and that witch a thing now? I always knew you had a soft spot for women in trouble, but this? It seriously caught me off guard. Actually, I couldn’t believe it when _hyung_ told me he saw you with a witch yesterday,” Jungkook chuckled quietly.

“It’s not like you know anything. Also, this is not a way to greet your brother after how long? Two hundred years?”

“You ran away before we moved to Portugal. Too bad you didn’t see the beauty of Porto. Yoongi _hyung_ hated it there, but I’d gladly stay. But seriously, how have you been? Last time I saw you, we were in the Middle East. Why didn’t you stay? Why did you leave us?”

“This is not the right place to talk, Jungkook.”

“Yeah, right. I know a much better place. You should go with me,” Jimin would be lying if he said Jungkook’s words wasn’t insistent. Something was hidden behind them, as if he wanted to tell him something be he didn’t know how, exactly.

“So, you are basically telling me there’s no option for me but to go with you, right? I thought we are already past this part of our so-called friendship. Just tell me where I should come.”

“Why bother with coming later when you can go with me right now?” 

“Unbelievable. You haven’t changed a bit,” Jimin shook his head in pure disbelief. Yet, he was strangely excited to see his old friend. Not that it wasn’t suspicious. Happenings in London turned quickly starting with the death of the fire-bound witch and ending with the sudden visit of his old—friends? Family? He wasn’t sure.

“I’m glad to see you too, _hyung_.”

***

“You cannot be serious right now,” as for the moment, Jimin was sitting in a chair in Kim’s residence, a glass of scotch in his right hand. He was holding onto it so tightly, his throat clenching once he heard the story rolling down Yoongi’s lips. It sounded so crazy and unbelievable at the same moment; he only shook his head.

“I’m more than serious. You shared my dream once, so why are you against now?” Yoongi asked, his cold eyes piercing Jimin. Internally, he was happy to see his old companion, one of the founders of the fellowship. On the other hand, it’s been almost two hundred years since Jimin decided to take his own path.

“Because when we agreed to make the world better, it didn’t include us murdering someone innocent.”

“They are not innocent. They killed more people than we did. Jimin, do your research before you blindly fall in love with one of them. Do you know the difference between black and white witches? White ones are mortal, dying in their late sixties because they can’t suck a life energy out of others. On the other hand, the black witches feed on a life energy, basically taking it without the consent. Have you ever thought why the Forest of Forbidden is called like that? Legends were never legends only.”

Of course, Jimin wasn’t stupid. He knew what Sunmi was doing – what all of them were doing. But who was he to judge? He might have been a Moroi, but he was still no better than any of them.

“You jumped onto this train way too fast for your own liking, Namjoon,” he said suddenly, completely ignoring the way Yoongi was burning a hole into his skull. The said demon remained silently, only his eyes kept wandering around the room. He knew, Jimin was right. Kim brothers decided way too fast to re-join their family fellowship. But what else should he do? Yoongi wasn’t someone who took a simple ‘no’ as an answer and making it complicated wasn’t an option either.

“We will always be family. He was there for us when no one even bothered to look in our direction. Of course, we agreed to be with him again,” Namjoon answered softly. But Jimin wasn’t stupid. He knew there was something more about his confession. Maybe it was the fact that the wolf was now standing in the corner of his room, his eyes piercing Namjoon. Or maybe it really was about the family bonds. Maybe they wanted to feel like they belong somewhere.

But it still didn’t mean he was about to fuck up his relationship with Sunmi. He couldn’t simply betray her. No way in hell or heaven even.

“I’m not going to betray her. That you cannot ask me to do, Yoongi.”

“I’m not asking you to betray her.”

“Then what is this about?”

Surprisingly, Yoongi kept silent. Jimin was always adamant about his feelings, never giving in if the reason wasn’t enough. And this reason definitely wasn’t enough for him.

“Look, I’d be lying if I said I’m not happy to see you – actually, all of you. I’ve been in London for some time already and I wasn’t given the opportunity to meet you,” he said, turning to Kim brothers. “But I understand, seriously. I see, you wanted to start over again, to have a fresh start. I did want the same. And now you are asking me to come back and help you destroy something that is precious for someone who is precious to me. That lacks logic, brothers,” Jimin simply shrugged. Silence fell over the room as all of them were drowned in their own thoughts.

And then, unsurprisingly it was Namjoon who spoke up.

A true diplomat.

“I propose an idea. Considering the fact that we decided to re-join you, Yoongi, it means I’m back to my position. Which means I’m leading with you. We are doing this,” Namjoon said, his voice strong, resonating through the room which only made Jimin scoff into his direction. “But then we are done with this shit. We won’t be hired anymore. Not even by old witches. We will rebuild the fellowship, making it a safe haven for other creatures. Moreover, after this horrible deal is done, we are going _home_.”

If the room was silent before, now it erupted into madness.

“Shut up! Did I ask you about your opinion?!” he was losing it and he knew it. He felt the skin on his hands tingling, the skin slowly turning from honey-gold to pitch black. It’s been a while since he lost control over his emotions and honestly, he was strangely glad it happened right now when he was in company of his closest ones. Even after all those years.

“Brother, I think you should calm down a little. This is not going to help us in any way,” Taehyung sighed heavily as he approached his brother, placing a hand on his shoulder in a calming and gentle gesture. But it wasn’t going away, Namjoon wasn’t calming down at all. Quite the right opposite.

“We have to get him out of here before he loses his shit completely. I know a way—” Seokjin murmured. Yoongi looked at him, most probably knowing the way Seokjin was talking about. And he wasn’t against, not really. At that moment, he would do everything for his dear friend, but he wasn’t demon. He didn’t know how their psyche was working.

Actually, things were getting more complicated than he expected them to be. Collecting the latter members turned out to be a pain in the ass, but Yoongi was still a leader – at least a part of a leading team – so, he was still hoping.

“He is right. Namjoon is right,” Yoongi said, getting up from the chair he was sitting in. Without taking a look at anyone else, he simply left the room. He still had a hard time dealing with Namjoon’s sudden decision – and the way he lost his temper. Even for him, it was too much.

“Wait, you can’t just leave, _hyung_. Namjoon needs you right now! We need you now!” Jungkook yelled but unfortunately, there was no response from the vamp that has just left the room.

“Don’t hold a grudge, Jungkook. It’s been always hard for Yoongi to understand the relationship in general. Give him some time and he will eventually cool off,” Hoseok spoke up after what seemed like eternity. He’s been there all the time, listening to his friends, to his brothers. Actually, his ex-lover was right. If Yoongi really wanted to continue in their legacy, it was only for the best to stop taking such offers. They better focus on helping others, on providing a shelter and safe haven. Getting rid of witches in spite of making it into a political circle full of corrupted creatures wasn’t the right move. But it was still opening a way for them. In a certain way.

“I’m not holding a grudge against anyone. But has anyone asked me how I feel? Has anyone asked how did it feel the moment I shot the arrow? No. No one did. So, shut the fuck up and do what you are supposed to do. Now that you are all back. And you too, Jimin. Cut the shit with your witch bitch. It was Namjoon who saved you from starving in the streets back in the Middle East. It’s your time to pay him and Yoongi _hyung_ back.”

***

It’s been two weeks and things seemingly got back into what felt like new normal. The firekeeper was dead, the key was gone, and no one knew what really happened besides the fact that, in the end, she was killed with an arrow, aimed right to her heart. Ever since then, witches went on alert. Dye kept repeating they were not supposed to go out and live their own life. She basically put them into a quarantine, holding their lives in her hands as if she claimed herself to be the queen. Still.

What she forgot about was the fact that they weren’t a full coven anymore. The bearer of key was gone – along with the key itself. For them, it felt like a natural disaster. One of essentials disappeared. Without that, they weren’t able to control the time and the space, they weren’t able to do things the full coven was supposed to do. And witches without control often fell lunatic.

Dye was the one who suffered the most. Her nights were mostly sleepless, and her days turned into a nightmare. She did her best to lead the rest of the coven, providing them with as much energy as she was able to bring together. But even she soon ran out of her resources. The Prophecy was crystal clear – she was going out of her mind, slowly going crazy without even wanting such a thing. Sad thing was, every queen of every coven was cursed like this. They were designed to live a long life – with such a tragic end.

Scoffing silently, she put the book away on the small side table. After the unfortunate event, witches decided to keep a watch on her. Right now, it was Sunmi’s turn to look after her queen. But the air-bound witch looked disturbed. She kept staring out of the window, muffling something about the stupid weather. The autumn finally left, leaving winter to take the reins. Sun didn’t show up for most of the day. But other than weather, there was something else bothering Sunmi and Dye could clearly say so.

“What is going on? Talk to me. I might be going crazy, but I can still see,” Dye spoke up silently. Sunmi hesitated a little. For as long as she could remember, Dye was always there for them, no matter what was going on. Yet, none of them ever came to her with a heart issue. None of them dared to speak about their hearts and intimacy, about relationships they built outside their coven life.

“It’s nothing,” the red-haired witch shook her head, biting on her lower lip. It was something, a big something.

“You know that I can say when you are lying, right? Is it about that Moroi you are seeing behind out backs? I knew he was there with you on the day of burial. Along with someone else. Who are they, Sunmi? What do they want?” Dye asked as something alien gleamed in her eyes. Breath hitched in Sunmi’s throat. That change in her eyes never meant anything good. Deep down in her soul she was praying that Dye wasn’t about to have another episode.

Knowing that there’s probably nothing to hide anymore, the air-bound witch only sighed.

“Yes, it’s about him. Yes, he was there with me. But he was alone. I have no idea what you are talking about, Dye. It was only the two of us, no one else,” she shook her head. That day Jimin promised her to see her later, but he never did. She came to his residence, but instead of Jimin, only silence welcomed her. Ever since that day she hasn’t heard of him. Not a single letter, not a single note. He didn’t even show up at the market – and the lack of information disturbed the otherwise calm communication between the creatures.

But she didn’t care about the market. She only cared about him, she only wanted to see him. Unfortunately, Jimin disappeared without a single notice.

It hurt, even though she tried her best not to admit it. Never before they agreed on having a serious relationship. Because they couldn’t. She was a witch, a former member of a strong coven; and he was a vampire, a Moroi, who came from a royal family he never talked about. It was unthinkable.

“I said, stop lying to me. I know there were more of them. And I promise nothing will happen to you if you just confess,” Dye spoke again. Her words were soft but her eyes cold as it flashed purple again. Sunmi knew better than anyone else that Dye was going crazy, that she was cursed, but what none of them expected was the fact that the death of their sister will fasten the process rapidly.

Dread ran down her spine as her queen got up from her place, slowly approaching her. Her eyes now fully shone with purple color; the last trace of their loving queen completely gone. It only meant another episode was coming and Sunmi was there alone to face it. If only Jimin was there with her.

Damn.

She quickly shook her head. Not it wasn’t the right time to think about him. To think about him at all. In the end, he left her, and she was still pissed off.

“Dye, calm down. You know what to do in these situations. Take a deep breath, sit down and close your eyes. It will eventually go away on its own. You are stronger than your curse,” Sunmi tried, she really tried her best to calm down the queen, but it wasn’t working. She approached the air-bound witch, reaching her hand for her. In a second, she grabbed her shoulder and Sunmi screamed in pain. Dye used her wicked powers, the ones driven by the ether itself, luring the life out of Sunmi’s body.

The air-bound with felt her body weakening, unable to stand on her feet anymore.

“You won’t be lying to me, Sunmi. None of you will lie to me anymore,” Dye hissed through her gritted teeth, her voice turning into something monstrous. Sunmi only nodded, painfully biting on her lower lip as she tried her best to prevent herself from further screaming. She knew, she damn knew that her pain was pulsing through the witches’ bound and soon, someone would eventually come to help her.

Except the bound was cracked now.

And no one was coming.

***

“I did exactly what you asked me to do. I was in contact with them for who knows how long. What do I get in return? A queen, who is going crazy faster than before and a sister, who is falling into a depression because she cannot see her lover anymore. I didn’t ask for any of those,” Emetri blurted out, a little bit louder than she first intended to. She managed to sneak into the Forest of Forbidden without anyone noticing. Not that she liked what she was doing, quite the right opposite. She wanted to be done as soon as possible, but the Old Crone didn’t seem to let go of her so easily. That’s why she was now standing here, in the small cottage with the old witch sitting in an even older chair.

“My child, you will have to more patient if you really want to win this war and save your precious from their own destiny. You gave me your word. Emetri, you can’t back out now. The fellowship is already here. Their leaders would be sad if you bailed. They wouldn’t forgive you so easily.”

“You never told me I will have to work with demons again. I didn’t like them when I was little, and I certainly don’t like them now. Mainly Seokjin. He acts like he is the leader but in the end, he always ends up crying on Namjoon’s shoulder because he wants to go _home_. If he so wants to go home, why won't he return to hell? It’s easy like that, mother,” Emetri murmured silently, her eyes pinned to the wooden floor. It still pained her heart, to keep things away from her sisters, to lead them all into a blind spot. But how was she supposed to tell them without revealing anything? How was she supposed to save their lives? She was bound to keep quiet, that was the only one condition. The only one to save a few of them. She chose three and now she wasn’t sure if she made the right decision.

And her mother, Diana, knew it. In the end, she knew her child. Her only child.

“Sweetheart, Seokjin can’t return to Hell. He was cast out by his own mother, along with his two brothers. They don’t deserve to come back. They are only allowed to visit once a month. That’s too generous of Lilith, I dare to say, but still. They are demons. Tough guys. And you are my tough daughter. Ever since you were born, I tried my best to get you ready for this position. You made it into the coven quite easily, Dye really loves you as her own. You proved yourself to be a trustworthy witch, but everything has its cost and now it’s your time to pay your debt. Think of your sisters,” she said, quite softly considering the state she was in. After all those years she walked this planet, she turned into a living corpse. She was disappearing right in front of her daughter’s eyes. Her time was cutting short – and both of them knew it.

“I’m just tired of pretending. I want them to know. I want them to be aware of Dye’s powers. Of how easily she can destroy them now. But ever since the fire bearer died, they are protecting her like she was the national treasure. Mother, she is after us, she has been for ages now. She doesn’t want us to grow more powerful. I feel like she never did.”

“That she didn’t. And that doesn’t mean you have no right to feel disappointed or hurt. She wasn’t always the bad one. She led you good. But she has to be eliminated now.”

Emetri sighed. She knew her mother was right; she damn knew that Dye was getting more and more dangerous day by day. It was something she was told before she officially joined the coven. But that still didn’t mean she was okay with the idea of killing her sisters. She loved them deeply; she treasured their pure relationship.

And if she wanted a handful of them to survive, she had to stick to the plan.

“Min Yoongi wants to see you tomorrow in Kims residence. You should come before midnight. Try your best to be unnoticed.”

Emetri’s breath hitched in her throat as she was about to protest. But one look of her mother’s blind eyes completely shut her mouth. So far, she was doing a dirty job. She absorbed information, she listened to her sister and then, when the midnight fell over London, she was meeting Namjoon in a small brewery that smelled awful. She told him everything, knowing that he will pass it to Yoongi, who will do his job to achieve his goals.

But she never met the Strigoi in person.

She didn’t want to.

Her and vampires – they simply didn’t go along.

“Mother, you cannot ask me to do that. I agreed to help you with your plan – and I’m doing my best. That’s why I have to decline. I’m not meeting the vamp.”

“You _are_ meeting the vamp. He will guide you through the plan more thoroughly. Also, he offered to take you into his fellowship – along with the members you chose to survive. He will tell you more, but only if you agree to meet with him. Otherwise even I can’t secure your well-being, daughter.”

Deep down in her traitorous soul, Emetri knew her mother was right, and this was the only way to escape this situation. But still – vampires scared her. They scared her to the point she refused to do her job.

“There is no way in hell for me to avoid this situation, is there?” she asked quietly, re-thinking each word that rolled down her tongue.

“No. Once you are in, there’s no way out, my beloved child. Now go. Go and do what you need to do before they found out about this fraud. Go – and save your beloved sisters.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Don’t let go of me.”
> 
> “I’m not going anywhere,” he shook his head. A silent promise mirrored in his eyes as he squatted down next to her.
> 
> “Don’t let them hurt me. Don’t let them hurt my sisters. I can’t lose them; they are my family. The only one I have left.”

Yoongi kept waiting. And waiting. And waiting. He didn’t like it when someone left him like this – expecting and on edge. He didn’t like it when a subordinate left their orbit, leaving him hanging like he was nothing more than a peasant.

He tapped his fingers gently against the soft surface of the table, nervously biting on his lower lip. Somehow, deep down in his core, he knew that trusting Diana and her beloved daughter was a mistake. Yet, it was the only way for him to infiltrate into the British supernatural life. It’s been a while since he showed his face. And he was damn tired of hanging around the Middle East, leading his fellowship into what seemed like damnation. As much as it hurt his pride to acknowledge, he had to admit that Namjoon was a way better leader. He always gave his people hope. He always told them that no matter what, bright days were ahead of them.

On the other hand, Yoongi seemed to be more of a cold and emotionless leader. Of course, he wanted the best for his people; for his brothers and sisters in armor. Yet, he couldn’t reach the level of empathy Namjoon did.

Scoffing silently, he reached for the glass of the cold blood, downing it in few slurps before someone gently knocked on the door. He immediately put the glass away, straightening in his – _Namjoon’s_ – chair. Loudly beating heart on the other side of the door told him it was someone who definitely didn’t want to see him but did their best to come. Just to be done with their shit.

“Come—”

No, he wasn’t fast enough to finish his thought when a young-looking witch entered the room. So, this was the infamous daughter of Diana, the triple-faced goddess who now pretended to be an old witch. She wore a long coat, the hood covering her face. Blonde strands of her hair peeked out as he tilted his head to the side. She definitely reminded him of someone. Of a certain witch, he met weeks ago – and was so desperate to meet again.

“I’m only here because my mother asked me to.”

“I can see you are a very faithful child. I heard a lot about you, Emetri, the daughter of Diana. You did a lot of good deeds for our sake. And I cannot be happier to officially welcome you to our fellowship. I was always curious about the first witch to join our circles. You have the honor and I hope you will cherish the opportunity as it’s not so easy to claim. I guess you should thank your mother,” he chuckled silently, yet there was something weird clutching in his chest. Not that he wasn’t excited to have a new member to join his – _and-now-again Namjoon’s_ – fellowship. Shamelessly, he was just expecting someone else.

“If you think so. Why did you want to see me in person tonight, vampire?” she asked, venom definitely dripping down her tongue as she made comfortable in one of the seats opposite the massive table.

Yoongi clicked his tongue, amused by her behavior. She was having none of his shit, he was sure of that. That’s what made her special. That’s what made him agree when her mother told him that Emetri was the right one for this mission. At first, he didn’t want a third party to join this plan. But if he wanted to succeed so desperately, he knew he had to agree. Every war came with its sacrifice.

“Your mother told me you only agreed with this unless there are three other witches that are going to survive the massacre. Who are they?” he asked, leaning his elbows against the surface of the table, simply facing the witch in front of him. She seemed to be at unease, the topic clearly dear to her.

“I’ve known them for years. I know how worthy they are. It would be stupid to kill them just because our queen is going crazy, don’t you think? You, above them all, should know the best the value of your warriors. I know their value – and I know that in case we are going to survive this curse, they will be the first ones to fight back. So, no matter if you recruit them to join your forces or not, they will fight. And no, I definitely won’t reveal their names.”

“I have to admit, you really are your mother’s daughter. A fierce one. I should have known better before. I need someone like you to join me. And I need your sisters as well. Especially the air-bound one. What was her name again?” Yoongi asked and Emetri leaned back in her seat.

Cold dread sizzled down her spine, the meaning behind his words was crystal clear to her. Never in her life she realized he might come after her sisters like this. She did so because her mother commanded her to because she always told her it was the meaning of her life.

But she never thought she might endanger her close friends like this.

“Just because I’m forced to join doesn’t mean they are as well.”

“And what do you think we would do with them? Let them leave just like that?”

She gasped.

Loudly.

“Sage won’t ever agree with your philosophy. She has had enough in her life, just let her go,” she shook her head in a desperate attempt to hold him as far from her sister, as possible.

“Sage, I see. I like that name,” he chuckled, leaning back into his seat as he was still staring at her. He liked the witch – once again, she was her mother’s daughter and as much as she was fighting her inner essence, he knew she wasn’t about to betray them.

On the other hand, Emetri slapped herself internally. She was trained to negotiate – and the first rule was to never reveal any names. Now, she broke it and she wanted nothing more than just disappear into thin air.

Which was impossible right now.

“Look. I don’t like this situation and I know that somehow, you don’t like it, too. My mother told me a lot about you, Min Yoongi. You are a very purposeful man who is aiming high. I’m not holding it against you, I’d be stupid to do such a thing. I know there’s a lot in this game, but you should understand that in no way I came here to have my sister endangered. I already had to choose only three of them to survive – which caused me great pain I will never stop feeling. So, now, if the only thing you wanted to know was the names of my sister I chose, then I’m sorry.”

“You already revealed one of them. It’s only a matter of time for you to slip again, my dear,” he chuckled, standing up from the chair slowly. Her body jerked when the vampire moved, approaching a small bar in the corner of the room. Without asking in advance, he poured them both a glass of old scotch.

“We should toast, don’t you think? For bright days ahead of us,” now he sounded like Namjoon and he didn’t really like it. He handed her the glass, and as much as she was fighting it, she downed the golden liquid rather quickly.

“Where’s the key?” she asked suddenly, placing the glass on the table. She didn’t have enough time to ask her mother, but she wasn’t stupid. After the fire bearer was killed, the key disappeared. Unfortunately, the coven sank deep into sadness and sorrow that they didn’t even think about looking for it. Of course, they were aware of the situation. But neither of them did anything in order to find it.

“You are really observing, kudos for that. The key is safe, you don’t have to worry about that.”

“What are you going to do? Why do you even keep it?”

Yoongi clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed by her investigation. She was smart and observing, he liked that. But what he didn’t like was nosey people. It was his business and he didn’t like someone else snooping around. Yet, she seemed like she wasn’t about to let go of that topic. Which made him talk.

“I’m going to keep them. It’s better for a single person to have them. Having them split was such a stupid idea. They have a big potential, such a strong power. With those keys, I’m going to lead my fellowship to victory.”

Emetri couldn’t help but rolled her eyes. He clearly suffered from a complex of megalomania. And he wasn’t ashamed of showing it.

“My mother did a terrible mistake,” she murmured to herself.

“I beg your pardon, young lady?”

“When she made a deal with you, she didn’t care about the keys. Why would she? She is way stronger than all of them combined, too bad she is dying and cannot use her power anymore. This was a mistake – not caring about the keys. You will destroy the world,” she shook her head as she got up from the chair. This was such a pointless visit, she thought about more useful ways to kill her time.

Sleeping, for example.

“Such a fuss for something so small,” he said, reaching under his shirt to reveal a key dangling on a golden chain. The moment her eyes laid on the key, it pulsed with energy and Yoongi hissed quietly. He put it back to where it was hidden all the time, giving her a deadly stare.

“You won’t change a thing about this. The plan is already in motion, dear witch. Bring your sisters into our fellowship and I promise you that no one will hurt them.”

***

It was Serah’s time to guard Dye. She was supposed to show up at her residence after midnight, but since she had nothing to do anyway, she decided to come sooner. And maybe that was what saved Sunmi’s life.

When the water-bound witch arrived at the residence, she immediately knew something was wrong in there. Everything was unusually quiet, not even silent murmur could not be heard. Serah slipped into the house, carefully closing the door behind her.

That was the moment she stepped into the living room, a sight of Dye standing above Sunmi who was clearly out of her consciousness.

“What happened?” she asked silently, dread flooding through her bloodstream. She knew better than to approach Dye. She seemed to be in her manic mode, her eyes still flashing with remains of purple. The queen’s head immediately snapped in Serah’s direction, giving her a deep stare. It was better to leave her alone, going down from her high was painful – and annoying when other creatures have been around. But Serah was worried about Sunmi, she certainly didn’t want to leave her with their queen alone.

“I—I don’t know. We talked and she tried to lie to me. She is protecting _them_ ,” Dye said, a glimmer of madness flashing through her irises. Serah took a deep breath while her brain worked like crazy. What was her queen talking about? Did she find out about the body they found at the plaza almost three weeks ago? Was she talking about the strange experience Sage had in the Forest of Forbidden, when she told them about the Strigoi and his companions, talking to the Old Crone? As dirty as it might have sounded, those were the only two things they kept from their Queen. Other than that, everything was normal. Or as normal as it could be.

“I’m sure Sunmi tried to protect us, no one else, Dye. She is a part of this coven; she would never betray her. Now tell me, what happened? What happened to Sunmi?” Serah asked again, taking a step forward. Dye’s body jerked, but she didn’t move from her place. She kept standing above Sunmi, almost like she was protecting her from danger.

“I told you. She was trying to—” with that, Dye closed her mouth, staring at Serah unbelievably. Her eyes flashed from purple back to their usual honey-golden color. She was back to her usual self, but it still didn’t mean she wasn’t dangerous anymore. That’s why Serah took a deep breath – one, two, three times before she quickly approached Sunmi, dragging her limp body to the nearest armchair. He put her body there, shaking with her gently. At that moment, Serah completely left out Dye’s presence in the room as she tried to best to bring her dear friend back from wherever her conscious went.

“Come on, I know you are out there somewhere. Come back to me, Sunmi, come on,” Serah whispered, bits of desperation entangled to her voice. Panic kept growing inside of her as her sister only groaned silently but still refused to open her eyes.

“Wake the hell up!” this time, Serah raised her voice while shaking with Sunmi’s body. Sunmi responded with another series of small whimpers – and words.

“So… loud…”

“Thanks lord,” Serah murmured, sliding down to the carpet-covered floor. And while the water-bound witch was happy to see her sister back in the land of consciousness, Dye stood there, biting on her lower lip. Bits and pieces of memory slowly came to her – she could see herself and Sunmi from a few minutes ago, but oh lord, it felt like ages. She saw them arguing, she felt the rage burning inside of her as she demanded Sunmi to answer her question.

A question her dear friend didn’t have an answer for.

But she didn’t see it. The rage kept her going, pushing Sunmi into the corner until she took the biggest toll. Until she dared to touch the very soul of Sunmi.

“I’ll be upstairs in my bedroom,” Dye whispered barely loud enough for the witches to hear her. None of them turned to her and she knew, she knew that she was the one to blame. But right now, she didn’t feel like bearing the blame on her shoulders. She only wanted to be alone with her thoughts – and guilt.

“Did she attack you?” Serah asked when she was enough Dye was gone and couldn’t hear them anymore. Sunmi only nodded, doing her best to make herself comfortable in the armchair. When she finally managed to find a good position, she looked at Serah, tears forming in the corner of her eyes.

“She was babbling something about protecting someone. She knew that on the day of burial, Jimin came with me to the Forest of Forbidden. Well, I admitted it as well, but I don’t think it is what matters anymore. I told her, repeatedly, that no, it was only Jimin in there. I didn’t know about anyone else. But she kept talking and talking until she finally attacked me. Gosh, never in my life I’ve felt such a pain. It was unbearable. I tried to push her away, to fight her, but the more she was gripping me, the less power I had left. And then she stopped, out of nowhere. I don’t know how long I was out, but if you didn’t come, who knows what would happen next. Thank you,” she said, wrapping her arms around Serah’s shoulders to pull her into a tight hug.

“There’s no need to thank me, I know you would do the same for me, Sunmi. But we have to do something about this. She is starting to be dangerous to her surroundings. You said it yourself, if I didn’t come in time, you might have been long gone. What happens next? Will she attack someone else? She might be dangerous to herself as well.”

“It’s the Prophecy. We know she is going crazy, but we don’t know how this mess ends. We don’t know the casualties. If there are going to be any.”

“There already are casualties. Did you forget about the fire bearer? About the key? We lost more than enough. And we still don’t know who killed her,” Serah sighed silently as she got up from the floor. “I will make some tea and check on the queen. You better stay here, okay? I will be with you,” the water-bound witch smiled softly. She turned on her heel and left the spacious living room silently, aiming for the kitchen. Just then, when she was finally alone, she leaned against the kitchen counter, her limbs shaking uncontrollably. She was finally able to put the mask away and be vulnerable. Scared. Terrified.

Dye was making her feel frightened.

The truth was, Serah never felt safe in London. All she ever wanted was to stay where it all began – in Spain. Dye found her there when she was still a young witch, her family ever so proud of her. Many of her family members thought she will become the queen, leading her own coven. But unfortunately, Serah was only gifted with the element of water. She couldn’t reach for the ether and bear the power over life and death. Yet, Dye saw something more in her. That’s why she took her under her wings, convincing the young witch to join her newly formed coven. She already had another two members – a fire witch who came from god knows where and a French air witch with long blonde hair who seemed to hate everyone and everything.

A small smile crept over her lips as she recalled those memories. Happy memories.

Because right now, nothing was happy, and nothing was exciting anymore.

She was scared of her queen, of the one who promised to protect her at all costs.

Sighing heavily, she reached for the cupboard, taking out a box with dried green tea. Surely, they won’t be able to fall asleep after drinking it, but who wanted anyway? Better to stay awake than to be deeply asleep and vulnerable to the outer world.

With those thoughts, she prepared them the tea, leaving it cool down a little while she climbed the stairs. It took her a while to reach Dye’s bedroom. Not that she didn’t know where it was. She simply didn’t want to go there; she didn’t want to face the monster she was slowly turning into.

But she had to.

Opening the door to her room slowly, she peeked inside. The room was covered in darkness as the curtains were closed. Dye liked it like that.

“My queen?” Serah asked silently, but other than the sound of shallow breathing, she got nothing as a response.

Good. She was sleeping. At least something. Serah quickly left her alone in the darkness as she hurried down the hall and then down the stairs to check on her other sister. But Sunmi was sitting there, a cup of tea already in her palms.

“So, what is she doing?”

“Sleeping. Probably. She didn’t answer, so I left her alone. It’s better like that, she needs some sleep after what happened. She might not remember any of this tomorrow. You know she still struggles with the day of burial. She doesn’t remember it correctly, maybe that’s why she asked you whether there was someone else besides you and Jimin.”

“That’s not my problem,” Sunmi murmured, sipping on the tea. The fact that Dye attacked her was one thing, but talking about Jimin? That was something completely different. And she really, really didn’t want to talk about the man who left her waiting for two weeks.

Serah shot her a sideways glance, internally contemplating what was Sunmi talking about.

“What is this about?” she asked, concerned. The air-bound witch only shrugged, sipping on her tea.

“I don’t think it’s important now.”

“Don’t make me interrogate you.”

“As if you were able to do so. It’s my thing,” Sunmi couldn’t fight the smile that crept over her lips. She always felt good and relaxed in Serah’s presence. And she knew that if Serah put pressure on her, Sunmi would eventually crack and tell her how much she missed Jimin right now. But it wasn’t the right time nor the right place to talk about such issues. That’s why she opened another topic. The one none of them wanted to talk about, yet the inevitable one.

“I think—there’s a way how to find out what will happen with Dye. We just need to ask the right person who will ask another person,” Sunmi spoke again, putting the now empty cup on the coffee table. Serah looked at her, even tilting her head to the side.

“Okay, but what are you talking about? Do you know something I don’t?” she asked her, a bit worried.

“No, that’s not it. I was thinking we could ask Sage. With her powers, she could summon her—”

“Oh lord now. She is not going to do it. Don’t you even dare to finish the sentence. I can already see her winnowing here and ripping your head off. She said it clearly – she is not using her powers and she will definitely not use it to summon the one you mean her to do.”

“Serah, Sage is the only witch who can do that right now. And her grandmother is the only one who has answers we need right now. She survived a downfall of her own coven. She knows what happens to the cursed queens,” Sunmi tried her best to lay out her plan. Even though it wasn’t a smart one and she knew they are already doomed because Sage was stubborn.

And she wouldn’t ever do that.

“She very easily forgot about her roots. I understand, her family history is a very sad one. But if we want to stay protected, it’s the only way to actually find out how,” Sunmi continued. 

Serah remained silent. Sunmi was right, Sage was the only one who could deal with their current situation. The only problem was, she was not going to do that. Sadly, without even asking her, both of them knew that.

“Fine,” Serah broke finally. “But you are the one doing the talking.”

***

Three weeks. For three weeks he had to take responsibility for dead souls, leading them from one side to the other. Honestly, San hated this part of his work, but he knew it was inevitable if he wanted to continue with his almost-mortal-like life. Mostly, he had to do it in order to see his little witch.

She would kick his ass if he heard his thoughts now.

He chuckled silently as he made himself comfortable in one of the armchairs. His eyes scanned the surroundings, taking in every single detail as if something had changed by the time he wasn’t there.

Except there was nothing.

Everything was pretty much the same.

“You keep staring,” a soft voice came to him from the corner of the room. Sage brought them two cups of tea, clothed in nothing more than a simple sleeping gown and robe lazily thrown over it.

“I’m not staring, I’m just looking around. Who knows, maybe I missed this place,” he shrugged, innocent smile written over his always sharp features. He felt the familiar tingling in his fingertips the closer she was approaching him. The unbearable urge to just grab her and have her in his lap shot through his body out of nowhere. It’s been three weeks since he saw her for the last time, and he felt like lunatic. Like one of those lost souls addicted to opium.

“You are always weird when you return from… that place,” she said, taking a place on the sofa next to him. He groaned internally, wanting nothing more but having her in his arms. Yet, his little witch decided to take place not so close to him. At least not as close as he liked to. But it didn’t matter, the night was still young, they had plenty of time.

Except for she didn’t seem to be herself. He wasn’t blind not to notice the dark circles under her eyes and the way she barely held herself. She must have lost some weight, too. The usual blush that adored her cheeks every time they were together was suddenly gone. She also wasn’t talking much, and it was seriously concerning him. He was only gone for three weeks – it wasn’t much for them. They were used to be without each other for a longer period of time, but this time, something must have happened.

“Tell me,” he sighed heavily, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. This way he was closer to her, and he had the opportunity to see her tired face from up close.

She seemed to have an internal fight whether to tell him or not. Of course, there were things and boundaries they didn’t spill in front of each other. He learned to respect that – she had her life and he had his own, some things ought to be kept private.

Some didn’t.

“Our sisterhood has been broken recently. Someone killed the fire-bearer. The key disappeared shortly after her heart stopped beating. Someone shot her in her heart with an arrow. A simple arrow. Wooden one, it didn’t even have a steel tip. Yet, it pierced her skin like it was nothing. Like her body was a piece of paper. So, we buried her in the Forest of Forbidden and hid the arrow in the cottage. Ever since then, things got even worse. Dye is slowly losing her mind and it’s highly affecting the others. We are falling apart,” she spat out at a speed of light even he had troubles to understand her sometimes. But he put the pieces together rather quickly, now letting it sink properly.

Someone attacked them shortly after the Prophecy has been spoken.

It only made him think harder about the whole situation.

“Do you think someone outside of your circle knows about the Prophecy?” he asked carefully. In no way possible he wanted her to feel even worse.

She looked at him, small tears forming in the corner of her eyes. She sniffled, turning her face away from him. He was her lover and he spent half of her life by her side, but he didn’t need to see her in such a state. All this time, she always showed him the brave side of her, cornering the weak one. Wiping the tears away from her eyes, she reached for the tea on the table, taking a small sip.

“I don’t know. Maybe Sunmi told Jimin, but you know better than me that there’s a high possibility he already knew. He is not called the Informant for nothing. And even so, I doubt he would use it against us.”

“That vampire loves her beyond the grave. He is not the one to hurt others. Yet, in a situation like this, you have to consider every scenario possible. Someone might be after you. And someone might not.”

“What are you trying to say?” Sage tilted her head to the side, giving him one questionable look. San was always a rhetorical one, speaking more in a riddle than actual words that made sense. Not that she wasn’t used to his strange persona.

“You said it yourself all those years ago when you moved to London with your coven. Some people knew about your existence and clearly wanted to erase you all. Maybe this was the case, someone knew about you and wanted to get rid of you. Well, of your sister in this case.”

“San! How can you say something like this?!” she immediately shot up from her place, giving him a strange look. San knew he crossed an invisible line as he felt the air in the room getting colder by every second. Making a witch angry wasn’t something you ever wanted to experience. Not when she was vulnerable and almost broken. In times like that, they could easily lose control over their powers and bring disaster upon the other person, if not more.

“Calm down, please. I didn’t mean it like that. I was just trying to come up with an explanation. It doesn’t have to be like that, I might be wrong. Just calm down. You don’t want to destroy another house,” he said quietly. He was damn careful about the choice of his words this time.

“You don’t know how it feels. The hole in my chest is getting bigger and bigger, day by day. My life is basically falling apart like a house of cards, right in front of my eyes! I lost my family once and I cannot lose it again! I won’t let that happen,” her voice dropped down a tone, her eyes covered in a haze. San knew she wasn’t there with him; she was out there, her soul hurting as she poured it out without him being ready for such an emotional wave. However, he got up from his seat, slowly approaching her. Such a dangerous move, but he was the Grim Reaper and he knew how to handle her in a case like this.

“Come here,” he whispered silently. In one swift movement, she was in his arms. The temperature in the room rose again, the danger long gone. With that, she sobbed into his chest, clenching the fabric of his shirt in her fist. She screamed, animal-like sounds ripping through her. Never in his life has he heard someone shrieking like this. It was full of pain and sadness, full of worries and terror. He was surprised her tiny body was capable of such a sound.

He spared the crown of her hair a gentle kiss when she let out a loud and long sob. She was calming down a little, but her body was still shaking in his arms. That’s why he slowly dragged her to the armchair, lowering her body. She kept holding onto him tightly, her eyes shining with new tears forming.

“Don’t let go of me.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” he shook his head. A silent promise mirrored in his eyes as he squatted down next to her.

“Don’t let them hurt me. Don’t let them hurt my sisters. I can’t lose them; they are my family. The only one I have left.”

He remembered when he promised her to keep her alive at all costs. Sweet words that rolled down his tongue when she lay naked in bed with him. Promises he wanted to keep; he really did. But not even Grim Reaper like him was that powerful.

“I will, I promise I will,” he nodded, leaning closer to peck her forehead. Her eyes were slowly shutting close slowly as he conscious was slipping out of her body. But not for long. As if some higher power didn’t want her to take her rest, a silent knock on the door resonated through the otherwise calm space.

“I will get that,” she slowly got up to her feet only to have him push her back into the armchair. She was in no state to open the door and welcome the visit. And he knew, he damn knew it wasn’t his place to open the door and welcome visitors, but he couldn’t do otherwise. She looked terrible, for he never opted to tell her. In his eyes, she was always a beautiful and strong woman, capable of snapping necks without even touching her foes, yet she never committed such a crime.

San’s feet carried him into the small hallway where a single candle was lit. Sage liked to have them all around the house. Thanks to her being the air-bound witch, she could easily extinguish them whenever she wanted to.

San reached for the doorknob, overwhelmed with such a simple gesture. It almost felt like they were living together, leading a simple life of a husband and wife. Except for the fact they would never. Shaking his head in pure disbelief and a bit of self-pity, he opened the door, only to meet the eyes of her fellow sister. Sunmi and Serah stood there, dark hoods covering their faces. He still knew them, though. It was hard to hide their nature – when they didn’t even try to.

“San?” Sunmi blurted out, ready to step in, but the Grim Reaper stopped her.

“What are you doing here? Sage is resting. She won’t be able to see you until tomorrow,” he said, his voice a bit deeper and colder than he liked to. His protective reflexes kicked in without giving him further notice.

“I could ask you the same. This is not your house, nor your home. What are _you_ doing here?” she asked, venom dripping along with every word that rolled down her tongue. “I need to speak to Sage. Immediately. So, if you could be kind enough to step away and—”

“San, it’s okay. Let them in,” Sage appeared in the hallway, leaning against the wall. As soon as Serah and Sunmi saw the state she was in, they approached her, holding her both from either side. They helped her get back to the living room while the only male present in the house has been left standing there, his mouth agape. He quickly got back to his senses as he closed the door, his senses leading him back to the living room where the smallest of the coven took place.

“What do you need at this hour? See, I don’t feel good right now—”

“We came to ask you something,” Sunmi started.

“We know it might be hard for you—” Serah continued.

“But we think it’s the final resolution.”

Sage tilted her head to the side, unspoken question mirroring in her eyes.

“What final resolution are you talking about? Something in my guts is telling me that no good I’m going to hear. So, spill it before it’s too late and San actually kicks your asses out of _my_ house,” she said. Her eyes immediately found the man standing in the doorframe, gently leaning against it. He had his arms crossed over his chest, angrily fuming because her sisters dared to break the vulnerable moment they had.

“We need you to talk to your grandmother.”

And at that moment, deadly silence fell over the room as the remaining color drained off Sage’s face. Honestly, she was getting better after her little breakdown from a few minutes ago, but with the upcoming request of her sisters, she was back there. Even San felt surprised by their sudden request.

“No.”

“Sage, it’s important. You know it yourself. Your grandmother was the only one who survived the downfall of her coven. She even survived the madness of her queen. She has to have answers,” Sunmi was cornering her, and San didn’t like it. He took a step forward, dangerously circling the fiery-haired witch. In return, she growled silently, even baring her teeth. Sage’s eyes were ticking between the Grim Reaper and her fellow witch. She tried so hard to grasp this messy situation, but she was failing miserably.

Only Serah stood there with her arms neatly folded over her chest. She knew Sage wouldn’t agree on this. At first.

“My grandmother is dead. How do you expect me to talk to someone who is dead for almost a century? Should I dig up her grave? Oh, excuse me, I would first have to go back to France, and that’s not really something I’m desiring at the moment,” she shook her head, taking a place on the sofa.

Sunmi scoffed.

San kept angrily fuming.

And Serah only sighed.

“We are asking you to use your powers. When we formed this coven, you asked us not to beg you for your necromantic powers, and up until now, we respected your wish. But you have to understand that there’s no other way for us to get out of this situation. Do you want to prevent our coven from another death? Do you want to lose another sister? I know you don’t, Sage. You have to do that,” Serah explained calmly. She knew how to approach Sage, and how to change her mind, even though it wasn’t always an easy task.

“I—I can’t do that to her. She never wanted to be resurrected,” the air-bound witch shook her head again, her eyes immediately finding San still standing close to Sunmi and Serah.

“Look,” Sunmi came closer to Sage while reaching for her hand. She squatted in front of her like San did minutes ago. Was it really minutes? It felt like ages ago. “We are not asking you to resurrect her. You can get in contact with her ghost, am I right? You can call her ghost; we will ask her some questions and that’s it. She can rest after. Sage, please. You have to help us. We are family. Each other’s only family.”


	7. Chapter 7

The winter slowly exchanged its place with spring. The weather was suddenly warmer and the streets of London full of people. Even the supernatural part of the population of London seemed to be calmed down a little. The bourgeoisie was on the rise, displaying the power they held in their hands. But none of that mattered to the shattered coven of London’s witches. After what happened by the end of the last year, they barely fought their way back to the top. They might have not been complete anymore, but they were fighting back.

At least they thought so. The danger was still lurking in the shadows, this time way more careful than before. After things got cleared out, Yoongi made some precautions for all of the members of the Fellowship of Ephesus. First, Emetri was officially initiated as a first witch to ever join their circle. Yet, one of their leaders had his eyes on another witch, the one that was heard to fight illness. Emetri refused to tell him what was going on, for her sake and Sage’s as well. In reality, she wasn’t ill. She was only preparing for a ceremony in which she will call her grandmother’s ghost to answer their curious questions. Questions that could save countless lives, no matter whether it was a mere mundane or a supernatural.

Second, he officially agreed with Namjoon’s idea of changing the course of their fellowship. But only under one condition and that was finishing their mission in London. After that, they wouldn’t move back to Portugal, nor Romania or the Middle East. They would go back to Korea, to their original roots. It was a perfect place to rebuild the fellowship, to give them a new direction. Yoongi found it odd how fond he was of this idea. He felt his heart started beating again – if only it was possible – and he also had some trouble with breathing. His companions weren’t blind nor stupid not to realize what was happening with one of their key leaders. As much as he tried to cover it up with his cold and almost unapproachable persona, even a Strigoi like him was excited to go back home. Just the vision of walking the streets of his birth town made his chest clutch in an alien excitement.

He had to push all of those thoughts into the corner, preferably bottling them up as his main intention definitely wasn’t to be the soft one.

Yoongi clicked his tongue, annoyed by his own thoughts that haunted him ever since things changed in a snap of fingers. First, he wanted this to be a quick and clean job, but it turned into a complicated mission and now, he was opted to calculate his every step. Deep to his core, he was a patient man, resembling more of a hawk, lurking from the shadow until he was sure to attack his prey. But lurking was fine, he liked lurking. It offered him endless possibilities and knowledge. Just sitting there, in the darkness and behind the curtain, he was able to learn about the world and people around him, letting every single detail sink in, treasuring it like it was a diamond.

With her, it was the same.

Emetri refused to tell him more, but who was he not to find out on his own? So, he started leaving the Kim’s residence more often. He didn’t care about the weather, about the sun that slowly, day by day, has been reaching the higher and higher point in the sky.

It wasn’t that hard to find out where she lived. But what surprised him was the fact when he saw the Grim Reaper himself leaving her house in the early morning hours. He kept the coat tightly tugged against his body, the hood covering almost all of his face, but again, Yoongi knew better. The man walked down the street of her neighborhood, his feet carrying him into the heart of London. Yoongi first wanted to follow him, but he was too blinded with rage and something he didn’t feel before. It clenched his chest once again; in a weird way he was unable to interpret. He wasn’t even sure if he wanted to interpret this situation _somehow_.

“You’ve been acting out of your normal self lately, _hyung_. Is something going on? Or should I ask – is something not going according to the plan? I thought that with accepting the witch, we are done, once and for all,” Jungkook was shamelessly chewing on the pen he found innocently lying on Namjoon’s desk. For a while, he was watching his hyung as he was going over and over the same piece of paper for the past thirty or more minutes. Jungkook always knew when Yoongi was bothered – he was the only one to read his persona ever so easily. And right now, the leader was at the edge of a rampage.

“Everything is going smoothly and according to the plan. There’s nothing you should be worrying about, Jungkook. Now, is there something you want?” Yoongi finally looked at his younger companion, biting on her inner cheek. There was an innocent smile plastered over the Strigoi’s features, exactly the same he saw in his face the day he met him for the first time.

“Not really. I just wanted to keep you a company. And ask you about the witch you’ve been following for a few weeks now. I have to admit, she is really pretty, but not your ideal type at all. So, what’s so special about her, _hyung_? As far as my knowledge reaches, she is not a bearer of the key nor she plays any special role in the coven. Not that I’ve been aware of. Why do you keep following her?”

That little son of a bitch, he dared to track him when he thought no one actually knew what he was doing in his private time. But of course, the little shadow kept tracking him without his consent.

“Are you now spying on me, Jungkook?” Yoongi placed the piece of paper back on the table and gave his younger companion an intimidating look. Too bad it wasn’t working on the younger Strigoi as he only stretched out his arms, playful smirk gracing his angelic features.

“I might be.”

“Curiosity killed a cat, Jungkook.”

“Too bad I’m a vampire then,” Jungkook shrugged in a teasing manner. He was always teasing the others fearlessly, knowing that as the youngest of them all, there is some kind of invisible protection over him. Not that he could do everything he wanted, even he was careful enough not to cross the line.

“Jungkook, this is not something you should be curious about. What I do in my spare time it’s my and my business only, do you understand?” Yoongi felt the sudden urge to put the younger one in place, to show him that even though they were friends, Yoongi was still the one in charge, leading the fellowship.

“And you should stop acting like a crazy man blindly following his hormones. The one you are seeking is the one that is going to be spared, so why following her? What do you want from her? What is so special about her that she caught your attention?”

“There is nothing special about her. I’m not going to discuss this matter with you, Jungkook. Don’t you have anything to work on? Jimin is already back, you should help him craft another arrow,” Yoongi let out small scoff through his parted lips as he looked at Jungkook. The younger one kept chewing on Namjoon’s pen, but the grin was long gone from his face. Instead, he seemed to be worried. After he heard Jimin’s name, he only clicked his tongue.

“Jimin doesn’t want anyone to be around when he is crafting. And he is working on two arrows now, so it’s going to take him some time. But if you don’t want me to be around, I can go, easy as that,” shrugging his shoulders, Jungkook got up from his seat. He flipped the pen between his fingers and Yoongi knew Namjoon is never going to see it again.

“Call me if you need anything, _hyung_.”

With those words, Yoongi found himself alone in the room, surrounded only by the walls covered with bookshelves. Jungkook’s words rattled inside of him, bringing the weird urge to rethink his plan. A few weeks ago, Yoongi decided it was only fair to let his closest know about his deal with Emetri, the daughter of Diana. Many of them didn’t agree, Jungkook included. He was against the idea of bringing witches into their fellowship as they were dangerous and always unpredictable. He tried his best to change his hyung’s mind, but Yoongi was too stubborn. Once he planned something, it wasn’t going to change at all. The same applied to this situation.

With a heavy sigh, the second leader of the fellowship got up from the chair and came to the window, peeking outside. The street was filled with pass-byers either going to work or coming back home from their shopping sprees. The memory of spying on the witch suddenly hit him out of nowhere and he again felt the heavy alien feeling on his chest. For some reason, he really wanted to know her. He even considered asking Emetri, but her answer was more than obvious.

She wouldn’t tell him anything.

And that was driving him crazy.

***

Truth to be said, evoke the spirit wasn’t that hard and Sage didn’t really need such a preparation. Honestly, she wanted to buy some time, to re-think her decision to be useful and help her sisters. Her grandmother was once a very important person in her life as she took over the role of her mother when Sage’s parents disappeared from France. Ever since then, the grandmother was her only family. Besides the coven, of course.

And it was still painful.

“We brought everything to the cottage in the Forest of Forbidden. But it was weird, there’s no trace of the Old Crone. Sunmi even tried to call her name, but it was useless. Do you think she finally died?” Serah asked as she placed down the tray with glasses full of red liquid. Sage’s eyes flickered in her direction, a wordless question reflecting in her eyes.

“She is certainly not dead. I guess she is just fed up with us,” Emetri murmured from the corner of the room where she made herself comfortable with one of Sage’s books. The three of them looked in her direction, but no one said anything.

“Hear, hear, it’s no time for your theories. Today, we drink this wine and tomorrow, we are ready to do what we have to,” Serah claimed, giving them all a glass. Emetri put the book back on the table as her fingers clutched around the cold glass, her eyes pinned on the red liquid inside. It wasn’t the right time to drink, not when the fellowship was already on the move and another one of their sisters might be in life-threatening danger. Yet, she said nothing, only sipping on the bittersweet liquid to show them her commitment to the sisterhood.

“You wanted to say I am ready to do what we have to do. You will be just watching me from the shadows. We don’t want anyone to know about this,” Sage shook her head. She internally praised the taste of the wine, taking the second sip right after. It was good, the taste of the wine deliciously moisturizing her dry throat.

“It’s a risk, are you sure you want to take it? Someone might find one – and when I say someone, I mean the Old Crone. She might be nowhere to be found right now, but what if she appears in the middle of Sage’s necromantic ritual? We cannot risk her wrath.”

“Do you really think she will waltz in right in the middle of the ritual and rip off our heads? She might not be the leader of our coven, but she also cannot afford the blood on her hands. The Congress would judge her in front of the Council, the old witch or not. You cannot kill another supernatural being without a legit reason,” Sunmi claimed enthusiastically, the glass of wine in her hand almost empty.

“What does the Codex even say about evoking the spirit?” Sage asked in a desperate attempt to last-minute back out of the plan. Not that there was a chance.

“As far as I remember, it says nothing about this issue. Necromancy is a part of your essence as a Weaver. It’s something you’ve been gifted when you were born in the family of witches and wizards. They cannot rip it out of your hands. But I can’t say this for sure, it’s been decades since I read the Codex for the last time. Sage, it doesn’t matter. The Codex is old, and the Congress barely follows it anymore,” Serah tried to defend hers and Sunmi’s idea as much as she could. Failing was not an option.

“We said we are going to do it. Backing out would be really unprofessional, don’t you think?” Sunmi’s eyes flickered in Sage’s direction in a not very friendly manner, but deep down, both of them knew it was inevitable. And none of them meant this in a bad way.

“I am not giving up on our plan, I already told you the preparation for this took me a really long time. It’s not easy to evoke the spirit – especially the one that has been dead for almost a century. I needed a lot of things – and I’m really thankful you helped me obediently to collect them. The time has come, and we are doing this tomorrow. I’m doing this tomorrow. But really, what do you want to do when you have the answers? And what if you won’t like the answers? No one knows what we are going to find out tomorrow, nor if we really are going to find something. What if the answer won’t be enough? It’s been a while since my grandmother was a member of a coven. Things might have changed a bit.”

“Covens’ rules don’t change, no matter what. What applied to your grandmother’s coven, applies to ours. And the other way around,” it was Emetri’s voice resonating through the room as she decided to speak up.

“Whether we like it or not, it’s the only way to avert a disaster. Let’s cheer to our idea.”

It was a bottle of wine and then it was two and three so easily. Sage felt a little bit light-headed when her sisters left her house. It was a little bit after six in the evening, the city was still alive, and she suddenly felt the urge to go out and snoop around the market a little. It’s been a while since she visited the place because Serah and Sunmi signed up to do most of the shopping. Right now, it was about time to go out and explore the spring blooming London.

It took her a few minutes to reach the place as her steps were slow and careful. She still felt the red wine in her bloodstream – and she will probably feel it for a little more. Such a stupid idea to drink when a big day was waiting for them tomorrow. Yet, it was too late as she reached the market, the heart of London. It was still full of people, even at this hour. Sun was slowly setting, coloring the city in nice shades of orange and purple.

Weird, to be outside after what seemed like an eternity, she thought to herself as she visited stall after stall, greeting some of the salesmen. Most of them knew she was a regular customer who always came, bought everything she needed and then simply disappeared. After she joined Dye’s coven, she swore she will never forge a bound so strong, except for the coven, of course.

And except for San, who came to her life unexpected, like an earthquake shaking the firm ground under her feet. Just the thought of him put a stupid smile on her face because who would think that the Grim Reaper and a witch could form such a strong bond? Taking it to a lover level even?

She giggled to herself, completely unaware of her surroundings. At least, she didn’t forget to cover half of her face with the hood. Now that she was irresponsible enough to step a foot outside her house, furthermore, being under the influence of alcohol, there was no way back. So, she stumbled upon one of the corner streets, full of pubs and VIP clubs for royal members. It was a place she usually avoided as it was full of people, mostly men who belonged to the bourgeois class. A place not good for a witch.

She kept walking, her feet bringing her closer to the heart of this district. Until she heard a faint voice coming from behind her. It was foreign but familiar at the same time.

And somehow, she wasn’t surprised when she turned on her heel, coming in contact with the Strigoi she met last year.

“I told you we are going to meet again. You didn’t believe me, huh?” he asked, his raven hair falling into his red eyes. His voice was cold, yet some kind of weird warmness reached his eyes as she finally looked at him, her lower lip caught hostage between her teeth. A soft chuckle left her lips then, head tilted to the side.

“And I see you still didn’t leave London as I advised you to do,” she said, her voice lower than usual. Not that she didn’t want anyone to see them in public, but she was aware of the fact that supernatural creatures like them certainly called for attention.

“This is not about London, is it? This is about something more meaningful. Why don’t you talk to me about that?” a very brave move coming from such a stupid vampire who let himself be carried away with his hormones – and something more.

Which only earned him a witch, looking at him like he was a complete idiot. She clicked her tongue, thoughts running faster than the speed of light. She knew that Strigoi vampires weren’t supposed to walk the planet earth in plain daylight, so that was probably the reason of him talking like that. Like he was an alien.

“Why in hell should I talk to you? I don’t even know you,” she shook her head in pure disbelief. This vampire, standing right in front of her, was so boundless it almost swept her off her feet.

“Then what if I tell you my name? You, witches, treasure it, don’t you? Your name is your most sacred possession, isn’t it?” his questions were annoying, but she had to admit, he was educated in this field. Names were one of their most valuable weapons.

“Are you trying to fool me? Because if yes, then you are not doing such a good job, honestly. I’ve met a fair number of Strigoi in my life, and let me tell you, none of them seemed as reckless as you do. What do you want from me, for real? Tell me.”

Stupid wine; it made her speak utter nonsense as she stood there, her head still tilted to one side, giving him a questionable look. He was a new vampire in the city, and she didn’t like it. She didn’t like it when someone crossed the line and tried to act all and mighty. Exactly like he did.

“Maybe, once we stop talking in questions, I will tell you,” a grin appeared on his features as he looked at her in pure curiosity. That was something she didn’t experience for the past few decades, besides San, of course. But the way this vampire was looking at her, that was definitely something new. And something unexpected.

“This is just a stupid idea,” she murmured under her breath before she found herself entering one of those luxury clubs. She had some money on herself, just in case she would buy something from the market. What she didn’t expect was the fact she ever so recklessly ended up in an establishment with a Strigoi vampire. To her surprise, he obediently followed her inside, but when she wanted to choose a table, he grabbed her hand and dragged her into the more private part of the club. The lightning there was intimate while the tables were out of reach of the curious eyes.

“This place will do. I didn’t know that a witch of your range will know about such a place. I’m pleased, to be honest,” he chuckled, the sound so foreign to her ears. Her grandmother always told her Strigoi were bad vampires who only wanted to drink your blood until you were left dry like an autumn leaf. This one seemed to be dangerous, but something about him was also charming. Dangerously charming.

“A witch of my range? I don’t know if you are aware of what you are saying. Just because I’m a witch doesn’t mean I’m not supposed to know about such places. I’m a woman of my age, with a colorful range of knowledge. Also, I have a taste.”

“Indeed, you have,” he chuckled again, his body tensing the moment the waitress approached their table. It was a young girl dressed in a simple dress with an apron over it. She was barely eighteen, Sage thought, this was no place for such a young girl, full of old businessmen with debauched thoughts filling their mind after the fourth round of scotch whisky.

“Can I take your orders?” she asked, her eyes pinned mostly to the floor. Sage suspected her of knowing what they were, even though the vampire sitting opposite of her was still wearing his cape, therefore his red eyes weren’t so suspicious.

“We will have a bottle of the best scotch you hold here.”

“A bottle?” Sage’s voice almost skipped an octave as she looked him, confused and in a state of utter rejection.

“I’ll be right back with your order, sir,” she almost bowed down, and when she finally left their table, Sage’s eyes flickered in his direction, giving him one not-so-satisfied look.

“I still don’t your name and yet, you dared to order a bottle of scotch for a witch you don’t know either. Forgive for I am probably wrong, but are you crazy?”

“You asked me the same when we met for the first time, do you remember?” he asked, a teasing tone entangled within his voice as he leaned his elbows against the table, therefore closing the gap between the two of them.

“Avoiding the answer, I see. In the end, you are all the same, no matter whether it’s Strigoi or Moroi. Keeping your secrets close. But you know what? I cannot really blame you, witches aren’t much different,” she said, nibbling on her lower lip as her eyes wandered around the room. She did everything just to avoid his gaze. Staring into Strigoi’s eyes wasn’t something so comfortable. And she would be stupid if she said he wasn’t frightening her.

“My name is Min Yoongi,” he said suddenly. Even he was surprised his name ever so easily rolled down his tongue.

“So, Min Yoongi, what are you doing in London? And why are you walking the streets of this city in plain daylight? Isn’t it dangerous for Strigoi to be out there?” her voice dropped down a little once the waitress was back with a bottle of scotch and two glasses. First, she intended to pour them the golden liquid, but Yoongi stopped her with a simple gesture of his hand.

“I can do it. Thank you,” he nodded, and the young girl caught his sign clearly – it was time to get the hell out. Sage clicked her tongue, shaking her head in astonishment.

“You startled her. This is not how you make a reputation in here.”

“Who said I want to make myself a reputation here? I’m here to do small business – and them I’m gone with the wind.”

“Does it mean you will walk straight into the sunlight?” she teased him, her mouth weirdly watering when he pushed the glass closer to her. The wine before wasn’t a wise idea.

“No. It means I will pack my things and get back to where I came from. As a big defender of London, I believe you like this idea of mine, don’t you? And now, we should toast. To a long life without fear and pain. May we live forever,” those last words he whispered quietly, it barely reached her ears. But the second it did, her heart made a black flip in her chest, alarm beaming in her head to run away. Brave witch she was, she gulped the golden liquid down, giving him yet another look.

“Let me make it clear. A Strigoi named Min Yoongi is doing some weird business in London, and he will leave once he is done.”

“That’s the deal.”

“How long?”

“How long what?” he asked, a bit confused by her question.

“How long are you staying here? What kind of business are you doing?”

“I don’t think it’s any of your business, _witchling_. My business is important, and I won’t leave until my last deal is sealed. I honestly admit it’s going to take some time, so I guess this is not our first nor the last night out like this. We should toast to this as well, don’t you think?”

“Are you trying to get me drunk?” Sage asked him suspiciously as she eyes the second glass of scotch. He pushed it dangerously close to her, giving her no other option than to gulp it down.

“Not really. Honestly, I’m trying to make friends with you.”

“Why would you do that? You don’t know me, I don’t know you and if you don’t mingle with my own business, there’s no reason for us to be friends, really,” she said, playing with the drink in her hands, the liquid washing over the surface of the glass walls in a circle like movement.

“Then we should do something about it. Why don’t you tell me your name for starters?”

A silent giggle left her lips.

“My name, huh? I’m being really irresponsible right now, but fine. You were honest why me, so why shouldn’t I? My name is Sage. And that’s all you need to know.”

“What about your last name?”

“I don’t have one,” she answered quickly, not even thinking about it. She saw the question in his eyes, the one he wanted to have explained, yet he kept quiet, like a real gentleman. Because she really, really didn’t want a stranger to know about the history of her family. Only a few of her sisters knew what happened back in France, including Dye.

“A real enigma, I see.”

“No, we are not toasting to that,” she hissed through her teeth because every brief mention of her previous past hurt her heart to the point, she wasn’t capable of communication. The same happened in this situation.

“There are still other things we could toast to. But if you wish not to, who I am not to respect your decision?” he actually smiled at her, the corners of his lips curled upwards in something that reminded a genuine small.

The one he didn’t feel in ages, but somehow, this witch sitting opposite of him made him feel again. Not only she was a former member of one of the most powerful covens in the history of witches, but she was also secretly meeting with the Death itself. She was full of surprises and he couldn’t wait to open her box of treasure. Quite actually.

“I have to admit, you are quite bearable for a Strigoi. Most of your kin isn’t this open and talkative. I was lying before; you are the first one I’m really talking to. I’ve been always warned to avoid your kind as you are dangerous, you have to admit that. What makes you hold your horses? What makes you sit here calmly, not wanting to kill everyone in the room?” she asked, her head once again tilted to the side in utter curiosity.

Or maybe she was just drunk.

He let out a gentle laugh, his lips a bit parted as his eyes found hers in the comfortable and dimly lit room. Her stomach suddenly dropped as he leaned closer, their noses almost touching in the most intimate gesture. He sucked in some breath, including her scent and he had to admit, he really was going crazy. The blood Namjoon provided him two days ago suddenly wasn’t enough as he felt his mouth watering under the vision of tasting her blood.

“Is this what your family taught you? What your coven taught you? All those fairytales being told only after midnight? Give me some credit, I’m an old creature. I learned how to control myself. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to go out at all, don’t you think? We are children of the night, but we are not characters from books. Not everything you read must necessarily be true. So, no. I don’t want to kill anyone present in the room. I might desire some blood, but I’m not a monster. In the end, I’m a businessman. Being a blood-sucking monster wouldn’t help to get where I am right now.”

“Interesting,” a simple world rolled down her tongue as she played with the now almost empty glass. He intended to pour her some more, but with a simple gesture of shaking her head she declined. “I guess none of us will ever know the real truth, will we? Like I apparently don’t know anything about vampires, you don’t know anything about witches and the way we live and survive.”

Now it was his turn to tilt his head to one side as he quite didn’t understand what she meant.

“Does it mean there’s no way for us to get to know each other better?”

Sage chuckled, shaking her head.

“That’s not what I’m saying. We can, but there will always be borders even we won’t be able to cross. No matter what.”

He suspected it was some kind of a dogma someone planted in her mind way before she grew up into an adult witch. But who was he to know, right?

“I have a lot of friends – and many of them are of other species. So far, no one had a problem with me being the bad vampire,” he said, and she chuckled like a girl, still playing with the empty glass in her hands. It was a sign to him, to pour her another round. This time, she didn’t object.

“That almost sounded like you wanted me to be your friend. Such a ridiculous idea, don’t you think?” she shook her head as she sipped on her glass of scotch.

“Not as much as what is going on in the world these days,” Yoongi shrugged while his eyes never left her figure. She seemed to be more relaxed than before, actually looking into his eyes from time to time. For some unknown reason to him, it boosted his ego completely.

“Teasing, aren’t you? Fine, we should—” the sentence was left unfinished as her eyes flickered from his figure to the opposite side of the club, finding something he couldn’t see in there. Suddenly, she got up from her seat, her hand clutching her chest, breathing only hardly. She seemed to be in a lot of pain, yet not a single whimper left her parted lips.

“What’s going on?” he asked, alarmed at the sudden change of her behavior. She shook her head, unable to answer his question.

It happened again.

One painful scream pierced her inners as one of her sisters was dying in utter pain. Since the last death, the bond they shared was cracked, so they weren’t able to communicate well and effectively. Yet, this pain was crystal clear, pulsing in her core as if it was her own. It was way worse than the first one, slower, digging deeper and deeper until it sank there without the intention to leave anytime soon.

“I have to go,” she whispered, and without even thinking about the consequences, she reached for the green thread that led her to Dye’s residence.

Because that was a place the scream was coming from.

And while she was doing her magic, the one she didn’t want to talk about nor she ever wanted to use it ever again (but was for the past few months), Yoongi sat there, his mouth shamelessly gaped open in desperate need to understand this situation. He didn’t understand what has just happened, but when she disappeared into the thin air right in front of his eyes, he definitely grew more interested in her.

***

Her head hurt and spun like crazy once she found herself standing in the middle of the chaos that erupted in Dye’s living room. All of the remaining witches were present, watching Dye standing there above the dead body of the earth-bound witch. She was pale, almost as if someone sucked the life energy out of her. Sage immediately knew who it was but was too afraid to point fingers.

When she appeared in the room, Serah and Sunmi approached her in mere seconds, both holding her from each side as her legs turned into a jelly. This was one of the reasons she didn’t usually use her powers – it was draining her energy to the point she wouldn’t be able to stand on her own feet.

“What happened? I felt it to the marrow of my bones. H-how?”

“Remember when Dye attacked me a few weeks ago? I think something like that happened this time. But she was far beyond the borders of her mind. She went completely berserk and killed her. The others tried to help, but there was nothing left to do. When we arrived, she was dead. And Dye was yelling like crazy. Never in my life have I heard something like this. The queen sounded like a wounded animal. My guess is she came back to her senses and when she realized what happened, something inside of her snapped,” Sunmi tried her best to enlighten the situation to Sage who appeared there in a puff of smoke. Quite literally.

“This is crazy. Dye crossed the line; we can’t let her do—”

“Did you drink?” Serah asked her suddenly. Sage didn’t have enough time to answer when Emetri approached them with a worried look burdening her features.

“I came as soon as I could.”

“No, I did not drink,” Sage said and a pair of three eyes snapped in her direction.

“Okay, maybe I was but I don’t think that’s something we should be discussing right now. There’s a body of dead witch lying on the cold ground while our queen is getting more and more psycho every day. Who is going to be the next one? Sunmi, you said it yourself, she attacked you. She could have killed you all those weeks ago.”

“What are you trying to say right now, Sage?” Emetri asked carefully – and also silently. The blood bound might have been forged between the witches, but she still didn’t want her other sister to find out about all those little secrets the four of them kept secured.

“That we can’t wait until tomorrow. We have to ask my grandmother tonight.”

Fear sizzled down the spines of the rest of them. Truth to be said, none of them expected her to say something like this, when, in the first place, she protested so much while being initiated into this plan. She changed her mind quickly, though, when she saw the consequences of the Prophecy. Dye started to be dangerous – and they had to stop her immediately.

“But how? How are we going to do this, when—” Sunmi’s words were cut off by the sudden _thud_ like sound. The other witches that volunteered to take care of Dye suddenly went quiet as the queen lost her consciousness out of nowhere and her body hit the floor like a sack of potatoes.

Sage was quick to operate, approaching her queen who now seemed to be more vulnerable than ever. The crown she wore before rolled to the corner of the room, leaving a silent sound behind. But no one cared about the goddamn steel forged crown as their queen quite didn’t want to come back to the land of the living. She was still breathing, though. But her eyes refused to open.

“What happened? Why does she not respond?!”

Witches were slowly losing it, the desperate tone in their voices filling the spacious room. Their yelling fought with the void in Sage’s mind. Dye’s head was now in her lap as he was holding onto her, praying to all of the gods above to bring their queen back. Not that she didn’t know what has just happened – she was perfectly aware of the situation, yet she couldn't bring herself to believe in so.

Witching sleep was one of the things her grandmother warned her about. It was a dangerous state of mind in which the witch was still aware of her surroundings, but the soul was trapped in a body that was cursed to sleep – if not for eternity.

“She is not going to wake up,” Sage murmured silently, her eyes flickering around the room. As if in a snap of fingers, all of the present witches looked at her, their eyes either full of fear or rage.

“What do you mean she is not going to wake up?” the water-bound witch, and also the bearer of the key, look at her, her fists dangerously clenched. She looked like she was ready to fight her sister. The humidity in the room suddenly rose – while the temperature dropped. Two witches, losing control over their elements, stood face to face, ready to fight. Ready to avenge.

_Stop fighting in my household_.

A collective gasp could be heard in the room as the same voice rang in their minds. A voice so familiar but yet so foreign at the same time. Even in her pitiful state, Dye was still somehow able to communicate with the rest of the coven.

_I can’t wake up and I probably won’t be able for a while. I don’t want you to fight. You will have to be on your own for a while—_

Sunmi gritted her teeth loudly, her fist clenched and the look in her face broken as her eyes found the way to the dead body of her late fellow sister and then the queen herself. One of them was dead and the other one was dying – but still alive, at some point. And she found it utterly unfair, to be in this situation and not be able to help. _Somehow_.

She also found it unfair that one of them was dead while the other one was still there – even though unconscious.

“Let’s take her to the Forest of Forbidden. She will be under the Old Crone’s watch. No one will touch her there – and she will touch no one in return. We cannot afford to have our queen killing one of our _own_ again,” those words left her lips without even her thinking about it in advance.

_That almost sounds like you wanted to take my place, Sunmi. I wouldn’t be surprised, to be honest_.

A fake giggle rattled through their minds, the vibe of another war filling the room in uncomfortable silence. Sunmi just stood there, unreadable expression written over her features. A leader-like aura lingered around her – and no one could deny so.

“If you want to save your lives, she is going to the Forest of Forbidden, _now_.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You know that if you run away now, there’s no way back.”
> 
> “Has there ever been one?”

“And then she disappeared in a puff of smoke! Just like that. Can you imagine it? I’ve never seen a witch doing this kind of magic. She will be very valuable for our fellowship. Just imagine the things she can do for us. Fuck, I knew that coming to London was a good idea.”

Jungkook shook his head in pure disbelief when Yoongi came back to Kim’s residence, making himself comfortable in front of the fireplace in the big living room. He smelled like alcohol and mundane, something Jungkook didn’t really fancy.

“Woah hold your horses, boss. How the hell did you even end up in a private club with her? Or what it was—Because I am not going to believe it was a pure coincidence. You had to be following her again,” Jungkook shook his head while Yoongi laughed softly. Such behavior was unprecedented for his boss.

“I was not following her. Well, I might have been, but only after I saw her at the market. She appeared out of nowhere, stumbling a little, so I was worried. I followed her and somehow, we ended up in that club. It was supposed to be a luxury one, but in my honest opinion, it sucked. We talked a little – actually, she wasn’t that annoying like the first time. It was nice. But then she disappeared. I’ve never seen anything like that.”

“Are you trying to tell me she smoked away? Like we do?” that was something that caught Jungkook’s attention. Witches weren’t supposed to possess such ability.

“No. She did something, a small movement with her hands, and then she was gone. I don’t think it’s the same as what we do. She needs to do magic to actually disappear. Obviously, I didn’t have enough time to ask her,” Yoongi shrugged, a small trace of disappointment written in his face.

“ _Hyung_ , you are taking it to another level. You are putting the fellowship in danger with your behavior. I understand, she might be interesting, but please, think about that. Just because you found something interesting in her, it doesn’t mean the rest of us will cooperate.”

Jungkook’s words felt like a wooden stake stabber right into his heart. Of course, he might be exaggerating a little, but never before he thought one of his most loyal underlings would undermine his authority.

“Jungkook,” a hissing-like sound escaped his lips while his eyes flashed in dangerous carmine red, wordlessly warning the younger one to keep his mouth shut. Yoongi didn’t need to be warned about anything. There was a reason he made it to be the leader of the fellowship. “I’ve never asked for your opinion, nor your concern. It’s nice to see you care, but this is none of your business. I’m bringing her to the fellowship, whether you like it or not. Be my guest to fight me.”

“I’d never fight you, _hyung_ , and you know that. But I remember what happened with Diana. I remember how broken you and Namjoon were when she left you alone. She was the reason you built up the fellowship and now she is the reason we are here. Diana and her witches. I should’ve known from the very beginning that this wasn’t a good idea.”

“Jungkook, you were just a child when things went down with Diana. You were still a mundane, you cannot remember such a thing. I know, now you are a grown-up, a man of your word and such a strong Strigoi, but please, leave this to me and Namjoon. We know what we are doing.”

“Namjoon knows what he is doing, but I bet my ass you don’t, _hyung_. Hoseok _hyung_ told me how Diana fucked up with you both, how confused you were about your feelings – and now you seem to be the same about that witch. I was a child, yes, I admit that. But I won’t let her play with you.”

Yoongi looked at him, his eyes cold and unreadable again. All of the excitement from before disappeared into nothingness as Jungkook dared to tutor him.

“There’s one big difference between Diana and Sage. One of them is a goddess. And the other one is nothing more than a witch. Diana is much more dangerous than Sage, even though she is dying.”

“Wait, did you just say goddess?”

“Shit, Jungkook, do your research for once, son. Yes, she is a goddess, known by the name Diana in pagan history. Witchcraft is a big part of her nature, that’s why she pretended to be someone else all those centuries ago. And she keeps pretending. For a while, I thought her daughter was a goddess as well, but the more I was observing her – and the more I was talking to her – I knew she was only a witch. Maybe it’s because of her father, but honestly? I don’t give a damn shit. The little one promised to help us. And she asked for a price – but that’s something you already know.”

“Yeah, the lives of another three witches. Such a lucky man you are, _hyung_. One of them is your favorite,” Jungkook smirked, his fangs teasing the surface of his lower lip. He needed a sack of blood and he needed it now.

“Is there a reason for you to be jealous like a little kid, Jungkook? Or are you just disgusted by the idea of witches joining our inner circle?” Yoongi asked, his words colored with the teasing undertone. He knew that there was something wrong going on with the young one, but unless he comes clean, he won’t ask him first.

“No. I’m just loyal to the fellowship. But if you so desperately want me to be honest with you, then here you go. I don’t think it’s a good idea to invite someone who doesn’t even care about your invitation. So far, they lived on their own, and now you decided to mingle with their lives just because you wanted to be a part of the supernatural political world. They have their own coven, their own fellowship. Yoongi, they don’t want us. They don’t _need_ us,” Jungkook’s words seemed to be more than desperate. Yoongi would be blind and deaf not to notice so. But for some weird reason, deep inside of his core, he still knew that inviting the witches was a good idea. He blindly believed so.

“Then they will have to change their minds once they know the truth about the Prophecy. Because, Jungkook, let me tell you—not a single one coven is designated to survive.”

***

Bringing Dye to the Forest of Forbidden wasn’t the easiest task. They discussed many opinions until the last one remained. Serah and Sunmi exchanged worried looks while Emetri put her hand on Sage’s shoulder in a calming gesture. It was a way to wordlessly ask her to use her powers once again. To bring Dye into the Forest of Forbidden, to touch the threads and actually teleport one another person with her.

This time, Sage wasn’t fighting back.

After she saw the horrible crime Dye was capable of, something inside of her snapped. A tiny little voice nudged her to help, even though it meant draining her energy completely.

“If we can help you somehow, just—” she didn’t even hear their words when she squatted by Dye’s limp body, holding her cold hand in her warm one. She didn’t hear their words when the world around her disappeared – when the luxurious scene got changed by a shabby surrounding of the cottage in the middle of the Forest of Forbidden. And Sage wasn’t surprised when she found the Old Crone lurking in the darkest corner of the room, her blind eyes plastered on the exhausted witch.

“So, it happened. She fell into a witching sleep, right? Right after her last episode,” the old witch approached the younger one as Sage clumsily maneuvered Dye’s body onto the makeshift bed. Once she was done, she collapsed on the dusty floor by the bed, the sound of her ragged breath filling the otherwise silent room.

“My child, I’m so sorry you had to exhaust yourself to this point.”

“She killed one of our own. This is the least I could do to protect the rest. Two witches are dead, what should we do now? What are we going to do? Everything is breaking apart, and I can’t—I can’t keep going like this. What should I do?” Sage whispered silently, leaning against the bed while she tried to internally collect a tiny bit of energy back. It was going to be a long night. She knew that once she decided to bring Dye here, there was no way out for her. She had to stay, whether she liked it or not.

The Old Crone kept staring at her, not a single sound leaving her lips pressed tightly shut. The information about Dye killing one of their own caught her off guard. The Prophecy was ugly, she was losing her mind for sure, but never in the history of witches and witchcraft something like this happened. Each queen suffered a different way, but Dye seemed to go down the hardest way possible. Killing someone she swore she would protect was unacceptable, it was a crime she was definitely going to be punished for by the Consul.

“Take some rest, child. You will need it. For this is not the end.”

Sage was ready to ask her more, but when her eyes flickered to the corner of the room, the Old Crone was already gone, not a single trace after her presence left. Silent scoff filled the room while her thoughts wandered to not so ancient history. Maybe, just maybe, if it was her turn to guard Dye tonight, her fellow earth-bound witch wouldn’t be dead. Maybe, she would prevent the disaster. On the other hand, Sage knew she wasn’t special, that there was not a single ace hidden in her sleeve, something she could use against her own queen.

And she was damn happy that wench wasn’t capable of reading her might right now. Either way, the disaster happened and the inevitable was coming. With Dye under the curse of a witching sleep, their coven was definitely broken. There was no one to lead them. Yet, that didn’t necessarily mean the rebellion will come next. Honestly, she expected a painful fallout, even though the bond between the rest of them was still strong. Witches tended to go rogue after losing their leader, it was only a question of time until something like that happens in this case.

Sage didn’t desire to think about that, yet those thoughts kept haunting her as her eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Each second that passed was a step into an unknown direction. And while she was drowning in her thoughts, Dye was lying there, defenseless. Her thoughts went quiet as if someone cut the last string she had with her beloved ones.

“I wish you survived, my queen,” Sage murmured silently. Those words were hard to whisper and even harder to wish to reach the queen’s soul.

“We should have never left France, you know? Or Spain. We should have never come to England. Europe was dangerous, but safe at the same time. Ah, who am I even trying to fool? You can’t even hear me,” she shook her head, leaning it against the hard mattress. Suddenly, a memory flickered through her mind as she closed her eyes, soft smile shadowing her lips.

Maybe she was going crazy too. Or perhaps she was still drunk, no one could tell when her mind wandered to the club, the dimly lit surroundings colored so brightly before her eyes. Min Yoongi, a vampire, bloodlust one, but surprisingly good companion at the same time. Admitting something like that even in front of her own self felt like a defeat. From her early childhood, she was taught not to trust vampires, especially those who were called Strigoi. A little witchling didn’t understand, but the grown-up witch exactly knew what her grandmother was talking about all the time.

Her grandmother.

The woman who replaced her mother when she needed it the most. When she needed a role model, when she wanted to grow up to be a strong witch. Just like she was now. And it was sad her grandmother couldn’t see her anymore. She couldn’t see the achievements she unlocked on her own. She even mastered the art of necromancy when no one was looking. It was terrifying but exciting at the same time, leaving her experiencing the electricity sizzling down her spine when she called the first spirit from beyond the grave. Such a big step for a witch all alone in this cruel world. It all happened before Dye found her in a small village east of Marseille. After the terrible accident that took place twenty years before her recruitment, Sage opted to stay at her birthplace. She never stepped a foot outside of the village when she was a young witch, and she didn’t really want to when she grew into an adult woman. But the queen came, and she changed everything.

Now, she was lying on the dirty bed, her body almost lifeless. Only her chest heaved with shallow breaths.

“I’m so sorry this happened. No one really expected the Prophecy to come this soon. I wanted to enjoy your leadership for a little longer. But it seems like you will have to go soon,” murmuring under her nose, Sage stretched her arm out for Dye, caressing her deadly cold cheek. She was quickly losing her body temperature, but Sage knew better. It was one of the side effects of the witching sleep.

“Say something. Please, say something.”

Her mind remained blank, not even her thoughts were loud enough for her to hear.

“That’s it, right? You will be silent. Funny. You shamelessly fought Sunmi just minutes ago, and now you are silent. You are a coward, Dye. You are a foolish coward!” animal-like shriek rippled out of her tiny body, out of nowhere. It sprawled through the grounds of the Forest of Forbidden, the desperation filling the air as she managed to crawl to the table sitting in the opposite corner of the room. With last bits of her energy, she stood up, leaning against the wooden surface. The stuff she needed for the ritual lay in front of her eyes, untouched. With a quick but still clumsy movement of her hands, she put everything in motion.

Now.

Now was the right time to ask her grandmother.

She needed to see it with her own eyes.

It has already been a century since she did something like that, but for some weird and unknown reason, it still felt the same. It felt like coming home, having the arms of her parents wrapped tightly around her. When she started to do the real magic, warmness spread over through her inners, filling her with excitement and something more. Her life energy was slowly coming back, as much as she tried to deny such a fact.

But necromancy worked like that.

It was a complete opposite of the magic she was used to do with her sister in blood. From time to time, her eyes flickered to the opposite corner of the room, where Dye was now lying, color fading from her skin. She turned back to the table; eyes focused on the herbs mixed in the small bowl. Everything was ready for the next step.

With a deep breath, she whispered silent words in ancient Latin. She repeated them again and again until she felt the wind raising. Soon, it felt like the cottage was hit by a small tornado, the vortex of wind messing with the interior.

Stronger and stronger it grew until she wasn’t able to see anything. Dust came into her eyes, blinding her.

And then, in a snap of fingers, everything was gone. The cottage fell into deadly silence. It felt like the world around changed and slowed down. She blinked a few times, coming back to her senses really slowly. Just then, when she turned around, she was able to see the shape of a person standing in the doorframe. Breath hitched in her throat as she stumbled closer, not believing her own eyes.

Her grandmother was standing there. She looked like she was about to disappear every second, but she was still there, with a warm smile gracing her lips. Yet, it never reached her cold eyes.

“My beloved one,” even her words were distant, speaking in a tone that was so foreign for her granddaughter. Sage shook her head, even pinching her skin under the coat she was wearing.

“Why did you call me?”

The initial shock eventually faded away as Sage took a step back, clearing her throat. First, she was overwhelmed with her grandmother’s presence, but the more she was staring at the ghost of her soul standing in front of her, the more she was sure this wasn’t her grandmother anymore. It was what remained of her on the other side of the deadly river.

Without pointlessly avoiding the topic, Sage went straight to the point.

“How do we avoid the downfall of the coven? How do we _survive_? You survived, all those years ago, when the Prophecy sneaked to your coven. How did you do it?”

The ghost of her grandmother shifted in one place, her eyes anywhere but on her granddaughter. But eventually, she sighed heavily – even though she didn’t really need to. She was a ghost, a mere memory of a once strong woman.

“That is a hard question to ask, my dear. Why don’t you first tell me something about yourself? I see, we are in London. You came a long way from France, my little one. Are you a member of a coven?” the grandmother asked, nothing but love and pure longing entangled within her words.

Sage let out a sound that reminded something between a scoff and a sob. She wasn’t sure whether she was mad at her grandmother for withholding the conversation or she was just happy to see her again. Either way, she needed the answer – and she needed it now.

“Grandmother, I’m sorry, but I didn’t invite you for a chat. I need to know. As you can see,” she stretched her arm in Dye’s direction, “we are not in the right place right now. Nor my capacity is strong enough to hold you here to have a peaceful and loving chat. Even though I really want to,” the last sentence only ghostly escaped her parted lips. With a shame, she turned away, eyes pinned to the floor.

“I know. I was just trying to buy some time with you, my dear, before I lay down my cards. The thing is,” she moved closer until she was only a few steps away from her still alive granddaughter. “There is only one way to escape the coven. You cannot save it; you can only save yourself. It’s harsh, but it’s true.”

“But what about the others? What do I have to do to save the others?”

The ghost chuckled, causing her to feel the sizzle running down her spine. She was used to her grandmother giggling all the time, but this was something completely different. She sounded like a foreigner; someone she used to know but didn’t belong to her life anymore.

“It’s all for themselves, my dear. The only way to escape the downfall of your coven is to cut the blood oath. You have to break the blood bond you have with your sisters.”

“No.”

Simple and fast, this word escaped her parted lips. Her breath quickened in a snap of fingers again, leaving her mind in pure disbelief. Somehow, she believed a complex charm could save them all, but apparently, it was a higher request. Something sacred, something none of them will want to do, even though it meant saving their lives.

“You wanted to know the way, so I’m telling you. Not everyone is strong enough to break the bond, but I believe you can do it, my dear. You were always different,” the ghost approached her, and she felt the faint and cold touch on her cheek. “You know how to break the bond, right?”

“I heard about that. But I never imagined I will have to lower myself to do so. My sisters won’t do it. They are too proud, not afraid of death.”

“They might not, but you may. Save yourself. Save yourself and run away from London. This is not a good place for you. And he is not a good man for you. Be careful who you are meeting, my child,” he touched her cheek one last time before the spell was broken and the ghost disappeared into a thin air. Sage gasped loudly, falling onto her knees before another sob ripped out of her mouth. It was coming from the darkest pits of her core, filling the room with sorrow and despair.

“No. I cannot do that.”

***

“No, you idiot. I don’t have actual feelings. I’ve never had feelings, why should I have them now? You just don’t understand,” Jungkook shook his head as he was disgusted with Taehyung’s proposal. Well, more of a statement than a proposal. And as much as the Strigoi was fighting him, that much was the demon ready to fight back.

“That’s why I am saying you have feelings. You didn’t have it before so it’s only natural that it feels confusing, my friend. It always does once you feel it for the first time. But let me tell you, it’s a nice feeling, warm even. You just have to be open to it. To that option, that indeed, you might be craving someone in another way than just sucking them dry like an autumn leaf. It won’t hurt, Jungkook, I promise.”

Taehyung walked along with his best friend down the bridge, aiming for the neighborhood that carried the name Blackfriars. They were supposed to meet the delivery guy because the supplies of blood were running dangerously low. Ever since Yoongi put his plan in motion again, he was getting hungrier and hungrier, which was a bit unusual for a vampire of his age, but no one dared to question him and his needs.

“Taehyung, this is not a French romance novel. I’m not living in a goddamn romantic world like you, apparently, do. I’m here as a soldier, not a man looking for love or, oh my god, a relationship.” Jungkook was seriously disgusted. Having his best friend back was good, but on the other hand, he didn’t like the teasing part. It was a trait of Taehyung’s and he knew that even after not seeing each other for god knows how long, he didn’t get rid of that little part of him.

“I’m not saying this is a novel. I’m just saying you should be honest with yourself. It’s the least you can do for yourself, my friend.”

“And you? Are you honest with yourself?”

Taehyung abruptly stopped, giving his companion one questionable look. Was he even serious, or did he go completely crazy, losing his mind somewhere between north and south London?

“I will pretend you didn’t ask your last question and proceed with our tonight’s plan. You know that curiosity killed the cat, so stop asking around. I’m a demon with few aces down my sleeve, so stop playing with my patience,” he said, the sun-kissed skin of his hands turning to pitch black in mere seconds. Ever since his last encounter with the mundane girl, he accepted Seokjin’s offer to teach him to hold the desire to kill – or to turn people in demons as he first intended do, but it never worked out. It’s been weeks now and he was able to call his powers whenever he needed them. Even when he only wanted to show off.

“Are we really doing this?” Jungkook sighed heavily, completely done with the bullshit that was going on between the two of them. Fighting with his long lost and now found best friend was the last thing he wanted to do.

“Seems like we are, but never mind. Let’s go, the guy won’t wait for us forever.”

And with that, the conversation between the two of them was forgotten, even though, from time to time, Taehyung’s eyes flickered in Jungkook’s direction, reading his facial expressions carefully. There was something bothering the Strigoi, but he was too stubborn to talk about it. And Taehyung knew there was no way in hell or heaven even to make this brat talk.

The exchange went smoothly – their go-between waited for them at the agreed place, holding the delivery tightly in his hands. He seemed to be a little bit nervous when both, the vampire and the demon approached him. But who wouldn’t be? Just the aura lingering around them screamed danger the second they approached the mortal man.

“I want you to meet us there in two days with the exact same delivery. We will pay you twice more since it’s not an easy task. Be here and you will be rewarded. For now, you are dismissed,” Taehyung’s cold voice crawled down Jungkook’s spine, making him feel something he didn’t feel in a while. Was it fear? Did his best friend really turn into a monster everyone believed him to be?

“Okay, this was something unexpected,” Jungkook admitted when he took the goods in his hands, immediately turning on his heels. For some reason, he didn’t feel comfortable in this neighborhood.

While Taehyung was apparently having the time of his life. He smiled like a little boy and his eyes shone with weird excitement. It seemed he enjoyed the role of being the boss of the day and for some unexpected reason, Jungkook could imagine him being the head of the fellowship one day.

“What do you mean unexpected?” Taehyung asked, curiosity laced through his words. He was waddling happily beside his fellow vampire friend.

“You. Your voice. Your persona. You bossed that man around like nothing.”

“Don’t tell me this is the thing that surprised you. Kookie, I’m a demon. Naturally, I _scare_ people. I give them a look and then _poof_! They are on their knees. Look!”

Taehyung abruptly stopped in front of Jungkook, his eyes shining from under the hood he was wearing. He tried to look as intimidating as possible, but somehow, it wasn’t working on Jungkook. So, the younger one only scoffed, amused grin gracing his features.

“You forgot one thing – it won’t work on me. I’m a vampire, my dear friend.”

“You have to admit, it was worth the shot.”

With that, they continued their way home. Most of the time, they were silent, enjoying the calm afternoon that fell over London. From time to time, Taehyung found himself staring at Jungkook – the vampire was deep in his thoughts, even biting on his lower lip, never saying a simple word. He thought that when he teased him like that before, Jungkook might drop the bomb about having a crush, but he remained silent. Moreover, he was fighting back, and that only assured the demon that something was going on with the vampire. He was certainly bothered – and he was bothered to the point he decided to bottle his emotions inside, which only made him a ticking bomb. Sooner or later, he will explode. Taehyung wasn’t sure whether he wanted to witness such an emotional wave, yet that didn’t change anything about the fact that he was still his best friend. No matter what.

They arrived at the residence shortly after sunset, Namjoon greeting them from the stairs. He was taking a break from writing one of those letters for the Congress. Fatigue definitely took its toll as he descended the stairs, a glass of wine in his hand.

“Trouble?”

“Not really, your brother handed it well. He also told the delivery guy to be there in two days. For the sake of me and Yoongi _hyung_. You can really be proud of him. He is doing his best.”

The praise coming from Jungkook’s lips warmed Taehyung’s hard. But somehow, he didn’t understand why the vampire decided to go down this path. He kept playing along, though.

“I told him I’ll play twice if he can make it.”

“You basically didn’t give him a choice, Tae.”

Namjoon’s eyes roamed from Jungkook to Taehyung and then back to Jungkook as his brain tried to process what was going on in front of him. Something must have gone down between the two of them and he didn’t feel like being the judge right now.

“Good. Now, if you excuse me, I have to rob my own wine cellar. Do—whatever you wanted to do,” with that, he disappeared through the side door leading to the cellar. Jungkook and Taehyung only exchanged confused looks before they parted their ways.

For now.

***

The night seemed to be never-ending as nightmares kept attacking her, one after another. And it was early in the morning when she managed to open her eyes, the surrounding around her coming to her senses only hardly. She was sitting on the floor, back pressed to the makeshift bed while the queen, lying on the said bad, was breathing shallowly. Nothing indicated her coming back to her senses anytime soon.

Sage hardly crawled back to her feet, the ugly headache slowly creeping in. Not only headache, she felt her inners clenching with distant pain. The truth her grandmother revealed last night still lingered around, almost ghostly like, the arms of the invisible powers wrapped around her tired body.

“Sweetheart,” a distant voice hit her senses when she tried to turn into that direction. Yet she was too weak to do so. So, she only welcomed the strong arms wrapped around her tiny figure, the familiar scent hitting her senses almost immediately. How he crossed the borders of the Forest of Forbidden, that she didn’t know. But right now, she didn’t even care, to be honest. Someone finally came, she wasn’t alone anymore, and that was the only thing that mattered at the moment.

“What have you done?” San asked silently, in no way he wanted to disturb the calmness that finally fell over the forest.

“I did what was necessary. You wouldn’t understand,” she murmured silently, burying her face into the crook of his neck even though she didn’t really feel like doing so. Yet, she was somehow used to his presence, to the scent that engulfed her every time he came closer to her. He smelled like home, like something she could come back to no matter what.

“Oh, little one, I definitely would. Don’t you forget I’m the one who helped your grandmother to pass to the other side,” he said, a bit more offensive than he first intended to. The witch in his arms sensed the alien thing hidden behind his words, pushing him away almost immediately. Now, when she was standing on her own feet firmly, she gave him a deadly stare. Not that she represented any kind of danger for him.

“I’m telling you again, you wouldn’t understand the reason I did it. If you want to keep playing your games, then leave me alone. I know my way home, a real quick one,” just when she was about to reach for the green threads, his arm snapped, holding her wrists tightly in his hands.

“You are not going to use your powers anymore. Do you want to die, Sage? Do you want to end up like your queen, lying there like a corpse?” he asked, his head tilted to one side. Just then she realized that running away wasn’t an option. She couldn’t leave Dye alone in the cottage.

“Right. She can’t stay here alone.”

“That is not what I was talking about, oh my god. Man up a little. Where’s the witch I fell in love with? She wouldn’t let herself fall this low, Sage.”

Her eyes immediately snapped open, gleaming dangerously. She raised her head to look at him, her eyes scanning his dark figure standing in front of her. It felt so familiar to have him this close, but the words that left his words felt alien. Something inside of him snapped. Something made him let those words out loud, sneak into her core and take her down unexpectedly.

Or was it her?

Did the magic change something about her?

“Where’s the witch you fell in love with? I can tell you where she is, but I doubt you would like the answer. Well, since you are that curious, let me tell you about a little downfall that is waiting for us. It all started with a simple—”

“No. Stop.”

“Should I? You were the one asking where your witch is, so why are you not listening now? Yes, I did something you told me not to. I evoked the spirit of my grandmother because we needed the answer, desperately. Have you ever felt desperate? Have you ever felt like you are falling apart, but you had to keep going, just for the sake of your own life? I doubt so, San.”

Her words resonated through his insides the second they left her lips. It repeated in his mind all over again as he tried to find a getaway, yet there was none. She aimed those words right at his core, shamelessly and mercilessly.

“What are you trying to say right now?”

“Nothing,” she shook her head, wiggling away from his arms as she aimed for the door. It wasn’t the wisest idea to leave Dye alone, nor to leave her with the Death itself, but she ever so desperately needed to get away from this place.

From San.

“Sage.”

“Yes?”

“You know that if you run away now, there’s no way back.”

“Has there ever been one?”

***

Sunmi came home later that night after the disastrous situation had been somehow taken care of. Some of the witches stayed at Dye’s residence with the main goal of taking care of the body. The others decided to visit the Forest of Forbidden, but it wasn’t sooner than six in the morning.

Now, she was sitting in her small kitchen, sipping on the green tea as her thoughts wandered back to last night when the terrible accident took place. It was unbelievable how things suddenly changed its course in a snap of fingers. They’ve only got the knowledge about the Prophecy a few months ago – and right now they were already short of two witches. Two innocent souls that left this world sooner than they were supposed to.

Unexpectedly, a silent knock on the door cut the train of her thoughts. It’s been still early in the morning and considering what happened, she doubted it was one of her sisters. She put the mug back on the table and slowly approached the door. There was nothing left to lose anyway.

A man stood there.

A man she didn’t expect to see anytime soon.

Honestly, she expected to never see him again. He disappeared into the thin air, without even saying goodbye, and that was something she didn’t fancy. The relationship they were building for the past few years was stable enough, and the thought that maybe it could stay like that.

He did the exact opposite.

And now, he was here, standing in the doorframe, the shape of his body towering over her tired and crumpled features. She couldn’t bring the excitement of seeing him again, quite the right opposite. Cold feelings settled in her core as her eyes pierced him in such an unwelcoming gesture.

“I know you probably don’t want to see me right now, and I’m not surprised nor I’m going to beg you for forgiveness. I just want you to hear me out and then think about maybe—giving me a second chance.”

The words spilled out faster than he even tried to think about them, but once they were handing in the air around them, there was no way nor reason to take them back.

Sunmi slowly crossed her arms over her chest, still looking at him silently, not a single sound coming from her. With such behavior, Jimin was growing more and more nervous. Inner doubts gnawed on him painfully. He genuinely loved the woman standing in front of him, even though she was a witch and he was a vampire and that was something socially unacceptable. Not that they were the first ones of their kinds to cross the line like this. But still. It was something the others looked at through their fingers.

Also, The Congress wouldn’t approve at all.

“Can we go inside? Or do you want me to talk here? Where everyone can hear is? I don’t think your neighbors would like me to talk about the supernatural things. Do they even know?” he couldn’t stop the teasing words leaving his lips as the growing nervousness inside his stomach made him babble like an idiot. “I’m sorry. Can I, please, go inside? I really need to talk to you, Sun.”

“Stop calling me like that, you lost the rights the moment you left me,” she said but moved aside so Jimin could step in.

And he so wanted to scream and shout, to tell her that he never really left her, that he was _made_ to leave for a while. They didn’t give him time to say goodbye, nor to explain what he was about to do. They also didn’t know he visited her with a pure intention to spill the tea, to tell her everything.

Because he loved her.

And she deserved to know.

They reached the kitchen and she immediately poured him a mug of tea, a strange habit of her she had ever since he started visiting her at home. Sunmi was good at mixing herbs, Jimin once told her. Back then, the blush covered her cheeks and she only brushed it off with a soft smile.

None of that was happening at the moment. The temperature in the room dropped and the air around them tensed. Jimin knew it was her doing, maybe even unintentional. She tended to lose control over her powers when she felt cornered or when she found herself in a harsh situation.

Or when her lover ran away and now came back unexpectedly.

“Talk.”

“Look, it’s not that easy.”

“Then why did you come? You wanted to explain yourself, so do it. Now.”

Jimin took a deep breath while his eyes never found her figure. He was staring at his hands neatly folded in his lap.

“I know who killed the first witch. I know who did. How he did it. And why he did it.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Stay.”
> 
> “Why? Why do you want me to stay?”
> 
> Be honest, he yelled at himself internally, the fight so hard it almost made him shudder under the weight of her gaze.
> 
> “I don’t know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm currently working on chapter 12 and I can say that we are slowly nearing the finish line. I'm very thankful to everyone who left comments or kudos (it's boosting my author's ego into the stratosphere, haha). Thank you! <3

The world went suddenly quiet and the time stopped. Everything around slowed down, including her own breath. She was just looking at him, silent storm forming in her chest as she kept replaying the words he has just spoken out loud. He came to explain himself, his disappearance, but she didn’t expect him to say something like _that_.

“What does it have to do with the fact you left me? Without even saying a simple goodbye, Jimin? Why are you talking about my dead sister as if you were involved with her death?” she asked, attacking him with each question until she fell silent. Until the weight of her words fell back down on her, dragging her to unexpected depths of realization. “Unless you were involved. Unless you are _still_ involved. Am I right? Do you have to do something with her death?”

It was Jimin’s turn to stay quiet this time. He raised his glance, looking at her with nothing but sorrow mirroring in his eyes. His quietness was a perfect answer to all of her questions, yet she still wanted to hear it from him, and he knew, he damn knew he owed her at least this small piece of information.

“Indirectly, but yes. By that time, I still didn’t—I didn’t know what really happened. I had my suspicion, to be honest. I only wanted it to be confirmed, but I didn’t expect it to happen so soon.”

“Stop talking in a fucking enigma, Park Jimin! You promised me to explain yourself, but so far, you are only babbling. These are not the answers to my questions!” Sunmi was slowly losing it, the air around her tensing a little bit more.

“Sunmi, you have to understand that what I’m talking about right now is incredibly dangerous. I’m putting _you_ in danger just with my presence. Fuck, I shouldn’t have come—”

“Oh no,” the manic laugh escaped her lips. She stood up from the chair, and she couldn’t stop herself from pacing around the kitchen like a caged animal. “You are not backing away, my love. Now, speak. I want the truth. Complete and raw.”

“You are not ready.”

“Will I ever be? I don’t think so. But I’m not a weak woman – and I never was. I can handle many things, so stop acting like a knight in shining armor, ready to defend his princess. I am not. And I doubt I will ever be _again_.”

Jimin took another deep breath. He collected himself quite quickly as he started to speak. Words rolled down his tongue without even him thinking about that. He didn’t know whether what he was about to explain made a sense, but is she wanted to know, he would tell her.

Complete and raw.

“I’ve been a member of fellowship once. I can’t even remember correctly when I joined them, but they were my family. A second one I loved so much. They saved me from the streets. Yet, I needed to leave after some time. The membership became unbearable anymore. Our leader, Yoongi, welcomed the idea of me taking a break from them. First, I found it weird because he wanted me to be a member so much. Just then I realized he knew I balanced at the edge of falling down the piths of burning out. He let me go and never looked for me again. Until they came to London last year. Kims re-joined the fellowship as well. And then they asked me.”

“Kims?” she interrupted his long speech with a simple question.

“The demon family that moved to London in the early 18th century. Three brothers with such a strong bond. Actually, the middle one was a co-leader of the fellowship. I think he is back to his function, but I’m not entirely sure. Not that it matters at the moment. The thing is, there was a reason they come back. They basically rose from the ashes like a phoenix. Yoongi has been called by Diana – or the Old Crone as you may know her now. She knew about the Prophecy and she requested some help with… getting rid of your coven.”

Jimin stopped talking with the intention of letting it all sink. He still wasn’t sure about telling her, but once he started unfolding the story, there was no way back.

And Sunmi was quick enough to put two and two together.

“The Strigoi you warned us about before. You knew who was it, right? He was one of the members of the fellowship, right?”

Jimin nodded.

“That’s right. At first, I wasn’t sure whether it was Yoongi or Jungkook. But as I know them, now I’m sure it was Jungkook just doing his research of the area. Of course, he did it on Yoongi’s command, who is also a Striogi. Jungkook mapped the area and found out a pattern of you coming out. He learned that it’s never more than two or three witches at the same time as you try to protect yourself from humans. Also, we know about the gleam, quite obviously. More than two witches outside make you gleam like a beacon. That’s how he found the first one. He followed the gleam along with Hoseok, the wolf. That’s how she died. He used an arrow… an arrow that…”

“An arrow that?”

“I made. It was a long time ago and I didn’t know they still had it. We were still in the Middle East when we planned to move across Europe. By that time, the witch hunts began, and I was in charge of crafting arrows and other weapons against them. Just in case witches went rogue. We used a few of them back then, but I didn’t know there was some left. Well, only one left, actually. Jungkook used it to shoot your sister.”

With that, Jimin ended his speech. There were a few more details he decided to skip because he concluded Sunmi didn’t need to know about the inner politics and Yoongi’s intention to become a member of the Congress. It wasn’t his part to tell, not really.

“The weapon you made killed her,” she murmured after what seemed to be an eternity. Jimin silently nodded, his eyes now again pinned on his hands. He couldn’t bear the sight of her. The pain in her chest must have been a great one.

Unimaginable.

Yet, she remained silent, putting the pieces of the puzzle together in her head, finally seeing the whole picture, even with her eyes wide open. It was then when she felt the burning sensation of tears forming in the corner of her eyes. She never cried easily. Showing a sign of weakness was unacceptable for a witch of her rank and position. She immediately clutched the key that hung on a chain around her neck, taking two steps backward until her back made contact with the cold wall. Suddenly, she looked at him as a threat not as a man who once used to cradle her naked body and kissed her in her hair while humming softly under his nose. That was a man who left her weeks ago. Now, only a stranger sat opposite of her.

“Did—did you leave to make another weapon?”

“Yes. That was the reason I left. They found me and they asked me to join them again,” nothing but pure and raw truth radiated from his words.

“Why did you do it? Why didn’t you just say no and walked away?”

“You can’t walk away from your family, Sunmi.”

“But you can walk away from a woman you love, I see.”

Her words hurt him, she aimed them perfectly at his core. He couldn’t even remember the last time he felt like this. On the other hand, he knew she was right. And she had every right to throw shade at him for what he did.

“Is there something else, Jimin? Something else you want to say?”

“They will probably attack again.”

“You meant _you_ will attack again, I see. Thank you for letting me know. Now, get out of my house and never look for me again.”

“Sunmi, no, wait.”

“What else do you want, you traitor? What else do you want from me?”

“Sunmi, let me just explain it all,” he sighed heavily, leaning in so he rested his elbows on his knees. He was looking at her and then he was not, unable to process the pain that mirrored in her face. He hurt her on the highest level possible, without the option of her ever forgiving him.

“Didn’t you explain it all. Is there something more you want to say? Tell me, who is the next one? Am I your target?”

“You were never my target, nor you ever will be. Sunmi, you have to believe me. I’ve never expected this to happen. And it doesn’t change anything about how I feel about you. I still love—”

“Don’t! Don’t you dare,” she shook her head, slowly approaching the kitchen counter when the old kettle with a remaining tea was still standing. She poured herself some, giving a sideways glance to the empty mug sitting on the table. In the middle of the chaos that stormed through the kitchen, she didn’t notice he finished his tea. For some unknown reason, she poured him the rest of his, silent _thank you_ escaping his lips, therefore disturbing the tensed atmosphere lingering around them.

“I know this is fucked up. And I know nothing is going to change, but I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry I hurt you like this. I never wanted to; you have to know it. Sunmi, deep down you know I didn’t want to. But it happened – and nobody can rewind time.”

Sunmi chuckled.

The less he knew the better.

“That is right, nobody can rewind time. The same goes for my trust. You can’t simply expect me to trust you again. Not after what you told me. It’s not easy to believe a killer.”

“Princess, I’m not a killer.”

The sweet old nickname he used to call her with shook with her inners, almost leaving her breathless for a short moment. But she quickly came back to her common sense, cursing herself internally. He might have betrayed her and her coven, but he was also still a man he fell in love with. And to forget what they built together in a snap of finger was next to impossible.

“You might not be one, but you certainly played an important role in the assassination of my close friend. My sister.”

“I did. But I still love you.”

***

Sun was not coming up anytime soon as the dark clouds covered the sky. A perfect time for Strigoi to stroll around the city, getting to know it better. Their plan slowed down drastically because of the sudden death of another witch. Yoongi didn’t expect something like this to happen anytime soon, nor did Namjoon or anyone else from the fellowship. Even Emetri was surprised when she felt the pang of pain pulsing in her chest the night before. She was at the residence, studying one of Namjoon’s books he brought from Norway. After it happened, she immediately left the residence, without saying a single word.

Later that night they got the news about another witch being murdered. This time without their endeavor.

For some reason, Yoongi wasn’t thrilled with this idea. After waiting for so long after their first attack, he put the idea on a stand-by. Of course, the idea of being one of the members of the Congress was still sweet and promising, but inner doubts started gnawing on him – almost as if he felt guilty.

Those thoughts kept bugging him as he may his way to Blackfriars, a place full of merchants. Namjoon told him about that, only smiling softly when he recalled the first time he visited the place. And because Yoongi was always interested in his taste and always appreciated his advice, he decided to explore the place on his own.

That was until the moment a strong wave of magic hit his sensed – and then he saw it. A gleam lingering around a single tiny woman fighting her way through the crowd of people. The long blonde hair peeking from under her cape was unmistakable, he immediately recognized his last night’s companion.

Before she tried to pass him in the crown, he grabbed her elbow and pulled her closer into his body. Maybe closer than he first intended to, but he definitely didn’t mind her presence. The hood slid down her hair, exposing her puffy eyes.

Now, that was something that caught him completely off guard.

“What happened?”

“Everything,” she babbled out without even thinking about that.

The crease appeared between his eyebrows as he eyes her from head to toes, desperately trying to catch up on what might have happened besides the death of her sister. Or should he say homicide? Early this morning Emetri told them what really happened, that it was the queen herself who executed another one.

“Come with me,” apparently, none of them was thinking about the consequences of their actions as he offered to take care of her – and when she blindly nodded without second-guessing his actions. With that, he gently wrapped his arm around her waist, guiding her back the way he has just come, the plan of exploring Blackfriars quickly forgotten. To his surprised, she never asked him where they are going, nor how long will it take.

But she gasped once they stopped in front of the residence. For some reason, he was convinced she knew who the house belonged to.

“I’m staying here right now. They are my old friends and when they heard I’m back in London, they offered me a place to stay,” he smiled softly at her, nothing but twisted truth mirroring in his shining eyes. She didn’t question him in any way as her eyes flickered back to the house. It seemed to be terrifying her for some reason, yet she only nodded to his later question: “Do you want to go inside?”

A sly little lie helped him to actually get her inside. Once he closed the door behind them, he heard the distant chatter to quiet down immediately. All of the inhabitants felt the presence of a witch who certainly wasn’t Emetri. Yet, none of them dared to mingle with Yoongi’s plan when he led her to the library on the second floor of the residence.

Even the witch was quiet, only scanning the surroundings around her. She remembered when she passed this house for the very first time. It was abandoned, its first tenants leaving in a hurry. The funny thing was Dye even considered buying the property, it was large enough for all of them to keep a privacy, but after a heated discussion, the witches decided to stay at their own houses, only meeting each other at their safe haven when it was needed.

“Why did you bring me here?” she asked the second he closed the door behind them. As if she woke up from the haze, she looked at him, unspoken question shining in her eyes. She seemed to be confused by her surroundings, maybe even questioning her decision to follow his lead. On the other hand, she didn’t look like she was about to run anytime soon, and because of that, a big rock fell down his chest.

“Because you didn’t give the vibe of wanting to be with other people. You basically fought your way through in Blackfriars. What happened? Does it have to do something with your sudden disappearance last night?” he asked her, voice so innocent but eyes full of guilt. She didn’t see it, though, as her eyes were still pinned on the floor.

“First, I’m really sorry about that. An unexpected thing happened and I—didn’t really think about what I was doing at the moment. I should have told you,” she murmured silently, still standing at the same place. He gently waved his hand towards the comfortable armchair sitting in front of the massive table covered in papers. Apparently, someone was there before – and he didn’t finish his work.

Sage nodded again. She approached the armchair and even though she was fighting herself internally, she slid down, making herself comfortable. She needed to relax, the sleep she got at the cottage in the Forest of Forbidden was insufficient, considering the nightmares that haunted her through the night.

And the fallout with San the following morning.

“No need to apologize here. We all carry the burden of our destiny. No need to be sorry, really,” he said, a faint smile playing over his features as he approached the small bar standing in the corner of the room. He had it installed little over two weeks ago, despite Namjoon’s objection. Yoongi either needed a supply of blood or alcohol when he was working. Preferably both, at the same time.

Without asking her first, he poured them glasses of Namjoon’s finest scotch he could find in the small cabinet under. He handed her the glass – and to his surprise, her fingers immediately wrapped around the cold surface, taking one big swig of the golden liquid inside.

“It’s just—I feel like everything is falling apart. Things were supposed to amazing, but then this shitstorm came and suddenly, my life is upside down. Do you understand?” she asked, her eyes finding his in a snap of fingers. Such an unexpected gesture of her, but he welcomed it.

He took a sip of the beverage and after that, he put the glass back on the table. With that, he took a seat in the chair opposite of her, his elbows rested on the cold surface of the wooden table.

“We will never have it easy. What kind of life would it be? Can you imagine it? I bet you can’t, and that’s fine. But believe me, if you had everything you ever wanted, you wouldn’t be satisfied. You would aim for more. You would aim higher,” his voice dropped a little bit lower, filling the room with the vision of unfulfilled dreams. At that moment, he was confused about whether he was talking to her or to himself. Nevertheless, the witch sitting opposite of him tilted her head to the side, curious about his little talk.

“That is right, but it also doesn’t mean our life can’t be convenient. I’ve never had high hopes. I only wanted a new home. A new family. But now, everything crumbled right in front of my eyes. Like a house of cards, everything is gone.”

“Do you want to tell me more?”

He internally cursed himself for pushing her this far, for cornering her when she clearly wasn’t her true self with him. When he met her for the first time, she gave the feeling of a fearless warrior, but right now, there was no trace of such a woman living inside of her.

“I’m not sure if I want. If I can, to be honest.”

“That is alright. You don’t have to if you don’t want to. We are trying to be friends, do you remember?” he chuckled silently, the sudden memory of their last night’s conversation flashing through his mind.

“Actually, I’ve never agreed on that,” a soft laugh escaped her lips.

“If you had enough time, you would definitely agree on that,” he couldn’t help but tease her. The atmosphere was getting more and more loose, whether it was because of their friendly chat or because of the alcohol flooding through their bloodstream.

“Vampire. Full of yourself.”

“Witch. Always above them all,” he shook his head, the soft smile still gracing his sharp features. He looked at her – only to find out he was staring back. With this newly gained knowledge, he got up from his seat, approaching the massive bookshelf that covered almost the whole wall. “Let me show you something.”

“And what is that?”

“You will like it. At least, I hope so,” he reached for a small scroll of paper lying innocently on the shelf. It seemed to be pretty old as the layer of dust covered it. He blew away the dust before he came back to the table, unrolling the paper.

An old map unfolded before their eyes as she leaned closer, carefully observing the picture in front of her.

“Where did you get this? It must be like two centuries old, if not more. Damn, it’s even older than me,” she murmured silently. Without further thinking, she got up from her seat, joining him by his side so she could get a better look at the map lying in front of her.

The map of the Old World.

“One of my companions drew that. We were always curious about the world, wanting to know more. Wanting to be more involved. That’s why I asked him to make this,” he said. His eyes wandered from the map to her, standing so close to him. Her scent was hitting his senses, leaving him hungry and desperate. If only she knew what she was doing to him. If only she knew he was going crazy because of her. If only she knew how much he wanted to get this close to her, but for what? He was only able to stand next to her, his arms hanging coldly beside instead of holding her in a heated hug.

“Then you have one hell of a talented companion, I can say. I love it. I—” she reached her hand with an intention to touch the map, but as soon as she almost brushed her fingertips against the surface of the paper, she withdrew her hand away. It was old and she knew the touch wouldn’t do anything with the already dried color, but still.

“You can touch it. It’s not going to disappear,” his voice encouraged her to touch the small place on the paper that represented France. A small sigh of relief left her lips when she did so, almost as if she came back home, even though it was only with a finger plastered against the map.

And for him, it was a new knowledge.

“France?” he asked carefully.

“Yeah, France. 1666. I was born somewhere between when the renaissance has fallen, and the absolutism took its place. We were leaving in the south, near Lyon, the place of the first stock exchange. It was very nice back then. Dare I say, it was much better than living here, but what can I do about it, right,” she chuckled silently. Words that left her lips should have stayed sealed forever but considering the state she was in at the moment, she let herself to be a little bit careless. In the end, he said it himself, he was about to leave London when he is done with his little business. There was no need to be scared of him.

Was there?

“Interesting. Why would you leave?” he asked without the intention to cover his curiosity anymore. She gave the vibe of enigma and he was a man who liked to decipher the mystery lying in front of him. It was too tempting not to ask the question, even though he wasn’t sure whether she was about to answer or not.

“Many things happened. I joined the coven, left France. Never set a foot back.”

“Don’t you miss it? Your home?”

“Don’t you?”

He didn’t expect such a counterattack coming from her tiny persona. It made him chuckle, a soft sound rumbling in his chest after what seemed like centuries. He was the man to put on the mask that presented him as cold and unapproachable. With her, for some reason, the mask was crumbling, falling apart without even him knowing.

“Such a sly question coming from a witch. But yes, I do. It’s been a while since I visited the place I was born at. But that doesn’t mean I’m not coming back. Actually, it’s my plan after I’m done with the business of mine.”

“Sometimes I wish I could say the same,” with that, she turned away from the map, her steps quickly bringing her to the other side of the table. He didn’t like the sudden distance between them. But what else, other than clenching his fists tightly, could he do?

Sighing heavily with his eyes defeatedly pinned on the table, he rolled the map and put it back on the shelf. Why did he think it would astonish her in the first place? That question he didn’t have answers for.

“I think I should go. I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to stay here. Anyway, thank you so much for… calming me down. I really needed some pep talk. Or something like that. Don’t worry, I will find my way out,” she murmured, but in that very moment, he was standing by her side, holding the doorknob in his palm tightly. It almost seemed like he didn’t want her to go. At least she thought so, but she didn’t want to be that delusional.

“Stay.”

“Why? Why do you want me to stay?”

_Be honest_ , he yelled at himself internally, the fight so hard it almost made him shudder under the weight of her gaze.

“I don’t know.”

***

“Okay, but why is it called the Forest of Forbidden?” Namjoon asked for what seemed like the hundredth time of the day. And Emetri was so done with his intellectual questions and theories, she only shook her head in disbelief that this demon, who secretly worked for the Congress, was actually so oblivious to everything. Even to her open display of affection.

It happened a few weeks ago when they were first left alone in his spacious office on the second floor of their residence. She was one again made to visit the residence to come with the news about the coven. And as always, she felt like she was betraying what was the most sacred to her. Yet, she came, rambled everything out and was ready to leave when Namjoon asked to stay and have a drink with him. She was very suspicious of him, of course, but on the other hand, she had nothing left to lose, except the three members of the coven she chose as survivors.

After that night and a bottle of alcohol she didn’t drink before, she developed a strange feeling for this demon. And what bugged her the most was the fact she couldn’t confess to anyone, not even to her own mother who only expected her to do her job perfectly. So, ever since then, she woke up every morning with the foreign feeling clenching her chest and with her heart beating extremely fast the second she started to think about the demon.

The same applied to this situation.

Even though he asked one hell of a stupid question.

“Because it’s clearly forbidden to step a foot inside?”

“But we are here right now.”

“You know what, I’m so done with you. It doesn’t even matter, to be honest. It’s just a forest. A magic forest, if you want to call it like that.”

It wasn’t just a forest and both of them knew it.

“I like to keep my knowledge updated if it’s possible. So, excuse me for my curiosity.”

“Excuse my ass.”

“What?” he abruptly stopped only to give her a surprised look. And to his very own surprised, she stopped as well, her arms crossed over her chest while she was scanning him from his head to his toes. A really nice demon was standing in front of her which only led her to one and only thought – she needed a cold shower.

“Nothing. But tell me again, what am I doing here with you?” she murmured under her nose. She exactly knew what she was doing with him in the Forest of Forbidden, she just needed something—what even?

“If I really need to remind you, I’m here with you to collect some things you will need to bring to our residence since you’ve decided to do your magic from our place. Which, in my humble opinion, is not a good idea, but you do you, right?”

“Aren’t you too smart for this?”

“That’s what I’ve been asking myself lately. Also, it’s one of the reasons why I’m one of the silent companions of the Congress. They wouldn’t like you helping me like this.”

“First – I’m not helping you; you are helping me. Second – letting them know would be such a terrible mistake you know you cannot afford to make. So, shut your pretty mouth and follow me. We are close.”

“Do I have a pretty mouth?” Namjoon chuckled silently and for the first time in a century, if not a millennium, he felt the blood rushing into his cheeks, coloring them in a nice shade of pink. Very uncommon for a demon, but at such a moment, he couldn’t find it. And he wasn’t sure whether he even wanted to fight it.

Emetri abruptly stopped in front of him, giving him no chance to look into her face as it was covered with her long blonde mane. She bit on her inner cheek in desperate need to escape this situation, yet she was in the middle of the forest with her frenemy. On one hand, she still believed in her witch nature and in the obligation that laid within her sisterhood; on the other hand, she loved her mother and she wanted to do everything she was supposed to.

The demon was the third variable she didn’t have an answer for. He appeared out of nowhere, as a mediator between her and that son of a bitch Strigoi who lately refused to see her in person as he was busy with his own _business_ – he said so.

“Can you stop courting me? I’m not interested, okay?!”

“Aren’t you?”

“I swear to—whatever; I’m going to let you burn alive if you don’t stop doing those things to me!” she almost stomped. Her lips formed a thin line that balanced dangerously to slip into a pout. Which he only found more amusing. But he knew better to keep it to himself as he only folded his strong arms on his chest. By that time, he took the remaining step closer to her, his body towering over her tiny persona. She seemed to shudder a little, tiny spark of electricity running down her spine the closer he was to her. Neither of that she wanted to admit, though.

“And what exactly am I doing to you? Will you tell me?” he asked her with a faint smile ghosting over his features. For some odd reason, he liked the way she was shuddering under his gaze – whether it was because he was a demon, or she felt something else.

“Nothing,” _and everything,_ she yelled internally but was strong enough to keep it quiet. With that, she gently pushed him out of her way with an intention to finally reach the cottage. The walk from their residence to the Forest of Forbidden has been longer than enough and when she finally saw the glimpse of the small building near the clearing, she sighed with relief. Quickly forgetting about the demon who kept her a company until now, she approached the building, sliding inside like a shadow while the man was waiting outside. For some reason, he knew it’s better to stay out of her way.

At least for now.

But when wasn’t coming out for some time, he had to peek inside, pushing the door with a squeaking noise open.

What he saw inside, he didn’t expect. Two witches were standing above a makeshift bed on which the queen lay. Emetri was one of them, the other one he didn’t know. And he wasn’t completely sure if he wanted to, because the moment his head poke inside, she gave him a deadly stare. Just then she turned to her sister, the queen’s almost lifeless body on the bed long forgotten.

“Emetri, what is this?” the girl asked, her eyes flickering between the fire-bound witch and the demon now shamelessly standing in the doorframe. His shadow dangerously filled the room and the atmosphere immediately turned into something heavier and way darker than before.

For the very first time, and after what seemed like an eternity, Emetri was left speechless. She was so distracted with Namjoon’s presence that she completely forgot there actually might be someone guarding Dye after they decided to move her to the cottage. She made a dangerous mistake, and now there was no way out.

Because Serah wasn’t stupid nor blind.

She knew who the man standing in the doorframe was.

She knew he belonged to the demon family.

And she knew he was dangerous.

What she didn’t know was the fact that Emetri brought him to the heart of the forest, where their now vulnerable queen was recovering from her almost-downfall.

“Emetri, what is Kim Namjoon doing in here?”

“Oh, great, you know my name. I was worried I’d have to introduce myself. Good, now, can we proceed with our previous plan, Emetri?”

But Emetri seemed not to listen to neither of them. She was just simply standing there, scanning her surroundings in a desperate attempt to run away without them going after her. At that moment, she prayed she had Sage’s powers. It must be amazing to reach for the thread and disappear without having to explain herself and her stupid mistake. Because how could she forget? Was she really that blinded with Namjoon’s persona she forgot there would be someone guarding Dye in the cottage? If it was someone else, fine, she would take care of it.

But not when it was Serah.

Lying to Serah was next to impossible.

“I’m asking you for the last time, Emetri. What is the demon doing here?”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything is going down.

“Can someone finally explain why you had to drag me out of the forest only to have this all explained? You, above them all, know that Dye is basically in the coma and she won’t wake up so soon,” Serah pouted when Emetri made her leave the cottage and the forest as well. Although she had a point when she said Dye was in a coma, Emetri didn’t want to risk anything, nor wanted Namjoon.

Also, Serah didn’t like the fact that the Old Crone took the role of Dye’s guardian when they left the cottage and she was fighting about her responsibilities. It was her turn to guard the queen and she didn’t want to go down without a fight.

But Emetri made her.

They reached the Kim’s residence, and honestly, Serah wasn’t even surprised anymore. No one really replied to her questions so halfway through their walk, she stopped asking. Yet, she couldn’t fight the fright settling in her guts when she passed the front door, stepping into a huge entry hall. She always imagined this house to be grandiose, but even this surpassed her expectations. The interior gave the give of being crafted by the most talented artists ever. But her heart dropped when she realized she stepped into a lion’s den – even though it was a really good-looking lion’s den. The small artist hiding within her core appreciated her surroundings.

“Brother, what took you so long? I almost thought the witch killed you,” a soft but dangerous voice filled the room as its owner stepped into the room. He had his shirt opened and crumbled, almost as if he pampered himself with a good afternoon nap. His curly hair fell down to his shoulder in a messy manner, only strengthening the vibe of laziness lingering around him. The tattoo that first only covered his back now graced his neck and half of his chest. It was a result of his small interventions to hell, along with Seokjin who took the role of Taehyung’s guardian and trainer. With their mission, they couldn’t risk their youngest brother going berserk.

It was a short moment until he realized there’s a newcomer; a tiny and delicate woman, her dark brown hair covering her back in soft waves. Yet, the softness lingering around her didn’t reach her eyes that burn with passion and something that reminded more of revenge.

“You brought a visitor. That is really nice of you, brother. I didn’t expect to meet one of them so soon. I guess Yoongi _hyung_ won’t be excited but putting things into motion is not a bad move at all,” he chuckled, approaching the three of them in a rather swift movement. He didn’t care about his undone shirt not his messy hair. Right now, curiosity took over him and there were nothing and no one stopping him from getting to know that little witch better.

“My name is Kim Taehyung, but I guess you already know that, don’t you? It’s my pleasure to finally know you,” he said, reaching for her hand. He was careful enough to bring her cold hand to his lips as he kissed her knuckles, the soft laugh filling the room right after. Neither of them dared to move, knowing Taehyung’s doings were vague.

Without any discussion, all of them knew he was the predator in the room.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you. I’m not going to tell you my name and unless you tell me what is going on in here, I’m leaving. I’m not stupid to not find out what is happening here,” she murmured silently, yet she could hear the blood rushing in her ears as her heart rang with a foreign kind of excitement. The demon standing in front of her was still holding her hand, and to her surprise, he intertwined their fingers with a further intention to lead her to the staircase.

“Why don’t we settle down in the study on the second floor while having a nice glass of scotch? I believe there are people more capable of explaining this situation to you, my dear little one. Including my brother and your friend. Or sister, should I call her?” a soft laugh left his lips again when he dared to lead her to the second floor, never letting go of her hand.

Emetri silently followed them with Namjoon basically breathing on her neck nervously. She turned to him with a silent question mirroring in her eyes. Namjoon, the wise man he was, understood her question and only nodded.

“He won’t harm her. It’s just the way he is. A bit eccentric and manic, but not dangerous. Seokjin is keeping an eye on him. It wouldn’t change his character, but he is definitely less dangerous than before.”

“Is this supposed to calm me? Because if yes, then you are doing one hell of a bad job.”

“Considering I came from hell, there’s nothing much I can do about this,” Namjoon shrugged, enjoying how effortlessly the conversation flowed between the two of them. It wasn’t the right place nor time to enjoy such conversation considering the circumstances, yet he couldn’t stop the sly smirk from spreading across his lips.

“For fuck’s sake, I should have stayed quiet,” she murmured under her nose once they reached the study room. Yoongi was already in as he heard the noise coming from downstairs and was curious enough to find out what was going on. It was still before the usual time he woke up, but since their annoying voices were unbearable anymore, he decided to leave his room and investigate the source of the mess.

Now, he was sitting in one of the armchairs, waiting patiently for the cavalry of the newcomers.

“Some of you care to explain to me what the hell is going on? And why did you bring another witch? I thought we had a deal, Emetri. We will welcome them once we are done with our job.”

“ _Hyung_ , there’s no need to be this harsh. She is a visit, and in this household, we treat visitors with respect. I doubt such word appears in your vocabulary, but you shouldn’t forget about the fact that this is still my _family’s_ house.”

“What is going on with Taehyung?” Emetri asked silently as she unintentionally leaned closer to Namjoon. Of course, all of the present in the room must have heard her, but she still didn’t want to make it so obvious.

Namjoon shrugged, his eyes now pinned on his younger brother. He was concerned with his behavior. If he didn’t know him, he would say Taehyung was just being nice, but considering his manic episodes, Namjoon knew better that Taehyung has just marked his newest territory, aka the witch they brought home.

“Will someone tell me what is going on? I’m the only one lost here,” Serah said, wiggling her arm away from Taehyung’s grip which only resulted in him, pouting like a small child. She turned to Emetri who turned away, biting on her inner cheek harshly. Fine, if her sister wasn’t about to explain, then she would try it with someone else.

But definitely not Taehyung.

The Strigoi sitting in the armchair cleared his throat when he felt the atmosphere in the room growing more and more tense. It was only yesterday when he stood in this very room, close to yet another witch while showing her one of the old maps his companion drew. Right now, it seemed like ages since the moment he felt her close presence.

On the other hand, he was glad that it was the other witch in the study room and not Sage. The fragile something that started blooming between the two of them was too precious for him to let it shatter into a million pieces.

Since when did he become this soft?

Shaking his head in disbelief, he clicked his tongue as he got up from the armchair, aiming for the small bar sitting in the corner of the room. Quick counting of the heads in the room gave him the number of glasses he had to take out in order to pour them some scotch. At first, he wasn’t sure whether he should pour one for Taehyung as well, but one quick look in Namjoon’s direction gave him a go.

“Soon, my dear guests, all of us will meet in this room and we will celebrate. We will celebrate the fellowship and the strong bonds we managed to forge here, in London. To be brutally honest with you, I didn’t expect our newest member to show up this soon. Not that it’s bad news. It’s very good news. I hope I’m not wrong, Emetri, if this is not our new member, is she?” he asked, his slender fingers wrapped around the cold glass while his eyes scanned the rest of the people in the room.

“Member of what, exactly?”

“Member of our fellowship, of course. You are one of the chosen ones. Don’t tell me Emetri didn’t tell you?” Yoongi chuckled silently, lips pressed against the glass, although he wished it was something else, well rather _someone_ else, than the ordinary glass. But for now, it just did well.

“There’s a deal. Your lives will be spared if I help them achieve what they want to achieve. I don’t think you need to know more, Serah. Let’s go home. We shouldn’t be here,” as much as Emetri tried to save the day, she saw the uncertainty in Serah’s eyes.

“Em, what is he talking about? What deal does he mean? Does it have to do with Dye and what happened? Does it—have to do something with our sister’s death? The one from last year?”

“Oh, dear, slow down a little. We don’t want you to be bad at us or something. Let me—” Taehyung tried to reach for Serah, to hold her hand once again, but she stepped away, pure rage mirroring in her eyes.

“Don’t you dare to touch me ever again, demon!” Serah turned to Emetri once again, completely ignoring the presence of two demons and a highly amused Strigoi standing in the corner of the room, sipping on what seemed like to be his third glass of scotch.

“To make it easier for all of us, let me tell you then. Emetri made a deal with our fellowship to help us get rid of your coven in exchange for the lives of three witches. I can say you are one of the chosen ones. We still have to find out about the third one, though.”

“ _Hyung_ , you know who is the third one. But I see your point, we won’t spoil the surprise party,” Taehyung nodded, one big and happy smile plastered over his otherwise cold features.

“Shut up, Taehyung. As I said, and as you probably understand by now, it was us who killed your sister a few months ago. I’m terribly sorry for your loss, my dear, but it had to be done in order to achieve a higher and more noble goal. You will understand when the right time comes. For now, I’d like to ask you to keep quiet, because in case you won’t, it would be me who will violate the deal. So, think twice about this. The next target might be on your back.”

“ _Hyung_ , this is definitely not nice! I told you we treat our friends and visitors with respect! We do not threaten them! Look at her, she is confused, you cannot throw such words at her. She is new to this,” for some weird reason, Taehyung was shielding the new member of their fellowship and neither of them liked it. There must have been a reason for him to do such a thing, yet no one dared to ask him.

“Taehyung, she wanted an explanation. So, I gave her one.”

***

“I should have sent you home instead of listening to your stories,” Sunmi murmured silently. She was talking more to herself than Jimin, who was now sitting in the small living room near the fireplace. Something between pain and relief still lingered softly on his features. The truth was finally out, but the circumstances under which he had to told her still clutched his heart in its painful claws.

“Yet, you let me stay – overnight, may I remind you – and you listened to me. Now it’s your turn to understand. Deep down you know it yourself, Sunmi. Dye is a dangerous witch right now. Didn’t she kill one of your own few days ago? Isn’t it why she’s locked away from everyone else? To lower the possibility of her hurting someone again? See? That’s what I’m talking about.”

Sunmi took a deep breath to prevent herself from yelling at him like crazy. Because deep down, a tiny little voice whispered that yes, indeed, he was right, and she was just fighting her feelings. But that didn’t mean she will forgive him just like that. What he told her yesterday still hurt, she felt the wound open and pulsing, filling her body with grief and an unhealthy amount of rage. The words that fell down his lips yesterday kept appearing in her mind, replaying again and again, until she grew tired of them, yelling internally, pleading it to stop.

Just seeing his face, just his presence in her house hurt her on the highest level possible, but for some unknown reason, she couldn’t bring herself to kick him out.

“Let’s say you are not completely crazy – and I’m not as well. How do you expect me to forgive you? How do you expect me to understand your sick plan of getting rid of my family? Jimin, this is sick and twisted. You are talking about women who are closer to me than my own blood relatives. We built something together and now someone comes, and he destroys it all? Why even? Why are you doing this? Just because the Old Crone, or should I say Diana, asked you to? What’s the main reason?”

That was the moment Jimin went silent. With lips formed in a thin line and his hands folded in his lap, he did his best to avoid her fiery eyes. Even though she was an air-bound witch, he could clearly see the fire burning inside of her. The rage that was driving her forward. She was hungry to know more, maybe even to understand. Although, that he couldn’t tell for sure.

“That is not my place to tell. I’m sorry,” he only shook his head.

“Fine, then take me to your boss. I want to hear it from him. I want to hear it all. You said you love me, right? So, if you feel like loving me right now, then there shouldn’t be a problem with me visiting your boss. Oh, why am I even asking you? The demon family is involved as well, I can simply go and visit them. What a great idea!”

“Are you crazy?! I cannot just take you there! This is not how it works, for fuck’s sake! The fellowship is supposed to lay low; no one can know they— _we_ are here.”

“Then you are not doing a good job in laying low if Emetri knows about this. When she even made a deal.”

Anger boiled inside of the young vampire who now got up from the seat and was pacing around the living room like a caged animal. He wanted her to understand and he definitely didn’t want to fight her, but this conversation was crossing every single line he drew around them both.

“Because Emetri is Diana’s daughter! That’s fucking why, Sunmi! It’s only natural she is involved! Yoongi couldn’t ignore the fact that the daughter of the woman who asked him for help is actually involved with the coven itself. Quite the right opposite, it was a perfect opportunity for him to infiltrate, to get to know the coven better.”

“Take me to him. Take me to see that son of a bitch who wants to destroy my family.”

“Sunmi, you are not going to change anything,” Jimin sighed heavily, but selfishly, he was glad she turned her anger from him to Yoongi. In the end, he was the one who led this uprising, chasing the crazy dream of his to be a member of the Congress.

“If you don’t take me there, I will find my own way. The one they definitely won’t like, Jimin. Now, it’s up to you. I ended up involved, didn’t I? Because of you.”

_Now because of me. Because of your beloved sister, Emetri, as well. But it’s too soon for you to know. It’s too much_ , he thought to himself, chewing on his inner cheek nervously.

“I’m not going to change your mind, am I?”

She shook her head, the fire still burning in her eyes.

“Fine. Get ready, we are leaving in five.”

***

The graveyard was covered in thick mist even she couldn’t get rid of. Using the wicked part of her powers drained her of her energy way easier than before. Not that she minded the mist, she just couldn’t see properly.

“San, come on, I know you are here.”

Because as bizarre as it might have sounded, the graveyard was the place he often showed up. Souls tended to be lost here, wandering here and there, he once told her. She remembered the moment his cold words reached her furiously beating heart, countless of questions forming on her tongue but she was too scared to ask him. He still saw them mirroring in her curious eyes and he answered every single one of them. It was the first night she properly talked to them without threats and insults. The Grim Reaper was always friendly and open despite what he was doing. She found that suspicious – only to find out later that he was being honest with her.

“San, please. Come out, I just want to talk to you. I want to make things right. I wasn’t fair to you, but you have to understand the situation I’m in at the moment. Please, come out.”

“What do you want to discuss? I thought you made yourself crystal clear last time we met,” San stepped out of the mist, clad in all black. His eyes were colder than ever when he scanned her features, looking for something that wasn’t visible, but still was pretty much present. “You didn’t listen to me when I warned you, did you?” he asked, smirk flashing through his features.

“I—what are you talking about?”

“I told you to avoid that vampire, but you stepped right into the lion’s den. What did he promise you?” San asked as the venom dripped from every single word that left his lips. Confusion took over the witch standing right in front of him, mirroring in her eyes as she was looking at him. She bit on her inner cheek, chewing on it nervously. Until—

“Does it matter that much that I met him? I came here to talk about us, not about some goddamn vampire. Look, I’m really sorry for what happened last time we met. I didn’t mean to unleash my anger on you, and I know it doesn’t justify my doings, but I was under a lot of pressure—”

“Save your breath for someone else, please. Round and round we go, like an old carousel. It wasn’t the first time you lost your shit because of the coven. I should have known better that you will never let go of them.”

As much as she was surprised before, right now, she felt the smile knot inside of her tightening, the warm sensation spreading through her inners, blood pumping the anger through her system.

She knew that San wanted to keep her safe, but sometimes his endeavor crossed the line she drew around herself. The coven was her second family she would never trade for anything else. And San always did his best to make her face the decision. The one she never really wanted to make.

“Is this what you always wanted? To drag me out of my coven so the Weaver and the Grim Reaper could live happily ever after? It hurts me to do so, but we were never supposed to be happy, San. I’m a witch and you are the death personified. How do you think we could be happy?” she shook her head while a sad little smile crept over her features. She immediately forgot about what she wanted to discuss with him – and about Yoongi as well. If this was bothering him all the time, now he had the chance to defend himself.

“Chasing after you was always like a fairytale, but never the one with a happy ending, that I can say for sure. I had a little hope that maybe, just maybe, we can break the circle and run away, but the more I was with you, the less I was convinced about my wishes. Now, I have to suffer from the consequences,” he said as if nothing was really going on, even though both of them what consequences he was talking about.

“You can’t blame me. This is my nature; this is what makes me _me_. If our whole relationship was only about you trying to get me away from my coven, then I’m really sorry to tell you we are done. I came here to apologize because I wasn’t fair with you, but I can see that the one who wasn’t fair in this relationship were you, all this time. It’s—I won’t be lying; it’s breaking my heart. It makes me feel like I’m falling apart – from inside out. If it’s even possible,” soft chuckle left her quivering lips, and she tried her best to keep her tears from falling.

“Fine. Then go. This is not a place for you.”

“San—”

“ _Go_ , Sage. We have nothing more to discuss, do we? We are done. I want something and you want something completely different. None of us is going to give up, so what’s the point in keeping something toxic and poisonous?”

“Are you going to end it just like that? With a few words?”

“What else do you want? Do you want me to hug you and tell you everything will be okay? Do you want me to be human-like and promise you that we will keep in touch? You should know the best that it’s not possible. Not with us. I knew I risked a lot when I fell in love with you, I knew I basically risked my life, so, leave me, please. This is something I have to deal with alone.”

The air-bound witch knew exactly what he was talking about and that was one of the reasons she didn’t want to leave him alone.

But he asked her.

And she had to respect his wishes.

“It was never fake, you know? What I felt—feel for you, it was never fake. It was always real, but if you want to end it up just like that, okay. Who am I to stop you, right?” with a sad smile, she turned on her heel with the intention of going back home. She couldn’t bear the last look into his face, that’s why she turned, still harshly nibbling on her lower lip. When she came here, she didn’t expect things to end up like this, even though their last encounter wasn’t a pleasurable one. 

Her feet led her away from the Grim Reaper and from the graveyard, but the story he used to tell her kept repeating in her head. The Weaver and the Grim Reaper and the tale that bounded them together. How they were never supposed to fall out of love if they didn’t want to suffer from terrible consequences.

When she first heard the story, she was terrified to the marrow of her bones. He told her a few weeks ago after he confessed his feelings – and after she confessed as well. It was exciting and full of adrenaline, hiding from the outer world in shadows, holding each other in their arms.

“ _You know, there is something I have to tell you. You won’t like it, but you have to promise me you will be strong, alright?_ ” he asked, tips of his fingers dancing down her naked spine, her back completely vulnerable to him.

“ _I am a witch and I am not easily scared. Tell me that you want to tell me._ ”

“ _Do you know the story about the Weaver and the Grim Reaper?_ ”

“ _No, but I will gladly hear it._ ”

“ _There’s not much about the story. I mean, it’s not that important. A classic fairytale, may I say. The end is important – and painful. If one of us falls out of love, I will disappear_ ,” San murmured silently. His fingers never left her skin, never stopped caressing her when she shuddered under him, her eyes mirroring the terror storming inside of her.

“ _What do you mean disappear? You can’t disappear, you are the grim reaper. They don’t disappear,_ ” she frowned only to cover the confusion and fear burning through her inners.

“ _I will disappear – and another grim reaper will be born. I don’t how and when, but this is how it is. We have to accept it._ ”

A sudden memory flashed through her mind and she sobbed silently, holding the loud cries tightly hidden. She felt her heart clutch in her chest and her breath getting more and more shallow. She already left the premises of the graveyard, her legs carrying her deeper into the heart of the city. Streets were full of people, smile plastered on their faces despite the bad weather. If only she could experience a day of being a mere mundane, without the curse of lovers breathing down her neck.

And without having to break the blood bond she had with her sisters. Because despite everything that was happening right now, she never forgot about her grandmother’s words. She never forgot the painful truth about getting out of this wicked circle and the threatening downfall of the coven.

A coven that was already broken, stained with two deaths.

_Get up, you are not the one to be weak. You are not going to cry because of a man._

Except for the fact San wasn’t an ordinary man and he will never be one. He will always be the special one, he will always stay in her heart no matter what. But knowing what he really wanted from her, knowing that he wanted her only for himself, that broke her heart to million pieces. She could hear them shattering on the floor all around her. Picking them up would surely take some time.

Time she couldn’t afford right now as the lightning bolt pierced the sky and the wolf howled somewhere in the background.

She turned on her heel quickly, causing the hood to slide down her head. No one seemed to notice what has just happened.

And that was the moment she knew they are all pretty much fucked up.

***

After what seemed like hours, but in real was only a few minutes, the residence fell into a silence. The vampire, the witches, and the demons found themselves in the spacious living room with an even bigger fireplace in the corner, each sitting on leaning against a different type of furniture.

Yoongi was leaning against the big window, his eyes plastered on the darkening sky. It looked like another storm was coming – and he wasn’t a big fan of such weather. Taehyung sat on the floor, his shirt still undone and eyes _still_ trailing in Serah’s direction, who was now sitting in Namjoon’s favorite armchair. She had her hands folded in her lap; her eyes full of terror pinned on the floor. Surprisingly, Namjoon found himself sitting on the sofa with Emetri by his side. The witch barely moved or blinked, her eyes on Serah. Everyone in the room expected some kind of reaction from her, but the water-bound witch remained silent.

Namjoon would be lying if he said it didn’t get on his nerves. He expected her to scream and throw things, maybe even using her powers on them when she learned one of her sisters was a traitor. He expected her to do _something_. But she did nothing.

She only sat there.

Processing what happened, most probably.

“Are you not going to say anything, little one?” Taehyung tilted his head to the side, poking his cheek from inside. His eyes were gleaming with the interest he didn’t even try to hide.

“Taehyung,” Namjoon hissed silently, causing Emetri sitting next to him to jerk. He gave her an apologetic glance but nothing else.

“What? I’m just asking, brother. I don’t want her to think we are the bad guys. We were never the bad guys. Yoongi _hyung_ said so. We are trying to make the world better – this is just one of the things we have to do. I understand that she might be hurt right now, but—”

“Can you stop talking about me like I was not here at all? I’m still sitting here and _listening_. So, shut your mouth, _demon_ , and let me think, would you?” Serah snapped out of nowhere, immediately shutting the young demon sitting on the floor. She went into a full offensive move, but Taehyung definitely didn’t feel offended. He only smiled at her, his eyes shining with the new excitement.

“Taehyung, no reaction is also a reaction. You told us to be polite, so let the lady think, is she wants to _think_ ,” Yoongi almost spat the last word as if it was a curse. He was still looking outside when the lightning bolt pierced the sky and left him only frowning. The atmosphere tensed a little bit more.

“Something is going to happen,” the Strigoi murmured silently, but no one in the room paid attention to him. They were still watching the young witch contemplating whether she should flood the whole residence or simply storm away without saying a single word.

“Who else does know?” Serah asked suddenly. Emetri looked at her, biting on her lower lip.

“Only I do.”

“You said you wanted us to survive. You made a deal with him,” Serah nodded into Yoongi’s direction who only scoffed. Again.

“I did. I did it to protect you. Look, I didn’t understand either. But the more I was looking into it, the more I understood. It’s not only about the Prophecy. It’s about the downfall that follows it. Eventually, we would end up dead. Whether you like it or not, this is the only way to survive.”

“In that case, I think it would be only fair if Sunmi and Sage knew about that too.”

“It’s too soon,” Yoongi said, stepping into the conversation without an invitation. He finally peeled off from the window, his feet leading him to yet another small bar located on the other side of the room. But before he even reached the bottle on top of it, wolf’s howling pierced the air in the room. All of them immediately shot to their knees, Namjoon running to the spacious hallway.

“Hoseok?”

“That was not Hoseok, bother. He is out there with Jungkook and Seokjin. They went to—” Taehyung looked at Serah and swallowed hard. “They went after witches. So, this cannot be Hoseok. But it’s someone we know. Someone we didn’t see for such a long time, am I right, brother?”

Namjoon nodded, preparing for what was about to come. Yoongi quickly caught up with the demon brothers standing in the hallway, expecting the front door to open anytime soon. He felt the presence of three people standing on the other side of it, he even heard them having a small chat of who is going to be the one to open the goddamn door. In the end, it was the woman’s voice that grew louder and louder until she basically scolded her two male companions.

Witches soon joined the men, forming a line they never thought they would form. Two witches, a Strigoi and two demons, once sworn enemies now standing side by side because what was on the other side of the door, none of them wanted to encounter even in their nightmare.

“Is it who I think it is, right?” Emetri asked silently, but no one responded to her. Because no one really had to.

“Why are they here?” Serah asked as she took a step closer to her sister, her fingers entangled with Emetri’s. The fire-bound witch squeezed her hand tightly. They were not alone.

“I don’t know, but they never leave their residence in Italy unless it’s something alarming. Something must have happened, when—”

Emetri’s words were cut off once the door finally opened. A long-haired woman danced into the room with a strong brown-haired man following her lead. There should be three of them, the wolf’s howling was crystal clear just a few minutes ago, but only a witch and a vampire stepped in. They didn’t bother to close the door, why would they?

The witch came closer, her eyes scanning everyone in the room. She didn’t look surprised when she saw the witches of London’s coven here, quite the right opposite. A smile that usually scared the soul out of mundane now appeared on her perfectly shaped features.

“Sisters,” she greeted them, her eyes lingering back to Yoongi. “The leader. Or should I say leaders?” she chuckled when Namjoon cleared his throat. Her companion caught up on her, taking a place next to her.

“Lee Miseo. Wang. What brings the members of the Congress in here? I didn’t know you liked London that much. How long has it been? Fifty years since you came to London for the last time?”

“Actually, it’s seventy-five. Miss Lee didn’t like us coming here from Norway, am I right?” it was Taehyung’s turn to speak up. Miseo’s eyes snapped into his direction. She clicked her tongue in fake surprise.

“Kim Taehyung, you were always my favorite one. How is your mother? I haven’t seen her in a while. Oh, I’m sorry. She is rotting in hell.”

Taehyung was about to step forward and grab her by the throat if it wasn’t for Namjoon and his quick reflexes. He grabbed him by his elbows and held him tightly in one place. One look into his older brother’s eyes was enough for Taehyung to know that this is not the right time nor the right place to play games. Demons might not be represented in the Congress, but they still had to obey.

“We came here to discuss a matter that has been brought to our attention. Your allying has gone too far and must be stopped. But we would like to discuss this matter with all of you, so, we will wait until there’s everyone involved in this,” Jackson spoke up with a way less poisonous tone of his voice than Miseo’s was. The said witch only chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief.

“You are too soft on them, my friend. They have to be punished. And they have to be punished now. Let me do it, Jackson. We will be done once and for all. Don’t you want to go home?”

“I indeed want to go home, but this is not how the Congress deals with trouble. We will wait for our last member as well as we will wait for them to be complete. I’m not going to discuss this with you. We will wait.”

“You can wait in the living room, if you want. We are not animals to not welcome you in our residence. This way, please,” Namjoon pointed to the living room on the right side, letting the unexpected visitors to step in first. Miseo was quick to approach the room while Jackson stopped by Namjoon squeezing his bicep.

“I’m sorry this happened. I know how hard you worked for the Congress as the silent companion, I really appreciate it. Miseo does as well, but you know her. She was always cold. The thing is—this cannot continue this way anymore, Namjoon. Things are going to change tonight, and you won’t like it.”


	11. Chapter 11

Sage’s first intention was to run to the Forest of Forbidden and hide somewhere under the bush, preferably. But considering the emotional rollercoaster she was experiencing for the past few days; she did the exact opposite of what her guts were yelling at her. And it was to run straight into the arms of the danger that fell over London.

She was convinced that her sisters had already run to the forest as the howling was unmistakable. The Congress has arrived in London for some reason and she was eager to know. With the happenings from the past few weeks, if not months, it certainly had to do something with that. The last thing she had to do at the moment was to find the place they crashed at. And if she wasn’t mistaken, it was the residence of Kims, the one Yoongi lived at the moment.

She approached the house a few minutes later, breath hitched in her throat as she was doing her best to fill her lungs with some air again. Running through London like someone was chasing her wasn’t the brightest idea she ever had, but the desperate situation called for an even more desperate solution. The door leading inside was wide open as if someone broke in – or someone forgot to actually close it.

Her steps let her closer to the small patio that formed the front of the residence. She carefully peeked inside and saw the aurora lingering around the spacious entry hallways. The soft light lingered around the place, coating it in warm colors. At first glance, it looked so beautiful, colors dancing here and there, forming a beautiful specter not even the most talented artist could paint. If only the atmosphere that complemented the colors wasn’t that heavy and hostile.

If only the voices filling the room weren’t that familiar.

She stepped inside, actually closing the door behind her as a decent supernatural being she was. The goddamn wooden thing made a squeaky noise, cutting off the last part of the conversation she tried so hard to overhear. She found the silence more disturbing than the ugly familiar voices that filled the space before.

“Oh, see? I told you. Birds of a feather flock together. Another guilty one is here. Welcome, my sister. Don’t you worry anymore. Everything will be alright once you spill all of your dirty little secrets. Now, come. We’ve been waiting for you,” a terribly familiar voice rang from the living room, luring the air-bound witch to come closer. Sage hesitated a little. The room must have been full of supernatural beings as the aurora grew stronger and stronger until it disappeared once it reached the threshold between the entry hallway and the living room.

She took a deep breath, feeling the heavy air filling her lungs one again, and stepped forward. She wasn’t ready to see the full picture, aka the people sitting in the living room once she stepped in. The air was knocked out of her lungs, the floor shuddered under her feet and she felt like she was simply swept off by some kind of an invisible force.

Serah and Emetri sat by Lee Miseo’s side while Yoongi took his previous place by the window. Taehyung, now properly clothed in a fresh shirt and new pair of pants, was sitting on the sofa opposite the witches with his brothers, while the rest of the group, who made it back to the mansion just minutes before she arrived, was unknown for Sage. Not that she desired to know them at the moment. All she wanted to know was the fact, why are her sisters here, at the demons’ residence along with the members of the Congress.

“I’m so happy to see you again, Sage. When was the last time we saw each other? I think it was at your ceremony when your parents and grandparents were still alive. Such a shame they can’t see what a wonderful witch you turned into. Using your sly tricks and necromancy. Which is, by the way, forbidden from now on,” Miseo’s voice was sweet, but no one failed to notice the venom dripping down the words.

Sage scoffed, the surprise of seeing her sister in here momentarily pushed in the corner. She wasn’t surprised she saw the uncrowned queen of all witches in here. They always traveled in their infamous trio – except for now, the wolf was nowhere to be found, probably taking a guard outside. Which was a wise move that made her feel reckless. She should have known better to scan her surroundings before she ever so carelessly stormed into the house that didn’t even belong to her in the first place.

“Why is the Congress here? What happened? And why at this residence from all of the places? We would be honored to host you in our safe haven. It would be such a—”

“Save it for someone else, my dear,” Miseo waved her hand in dismissive movement. “Join me and your sisters if you want to know more about this situation. I’ll be more than happy to tell you what is going on.”

“Miseo, we said we will wait for the others, didn’t we? You are not spilling anything until Han Sunmi and Park Jimin arrive. They should be here any minute by now,” Jackson, as a peacemaker, tried to soothe the situation a little. That only led Miseo to click her tongue and pat the remaining free space by her left side, giving a clear sign to the newcomer to join her. Surprisingly, Sage’s eyes flickered in Yoongi’s direction who watched her carefully. He looked tense, his posture described many feelings – tension, rage, disturbance, but there was something more. Concern mirrored in his eyes when Sage took a place next to Miseo.

“Why are we waiting for Sunmi and the Informant? Why are we all here? We don’t even know each other that good,” Sage murmured, more to herself than to the others, actually.

“You really don’t want to ask questions now. It’s pointless, anyway. No one is going to tell you the truth unless there are all of us. Just wait for Sunmi and Jimin and you will know,” Serah actually answered, her voice colder than usual. Something must have happened, something that left her disturbed and extremely cautious about her surroundings. She was always nice, almost easy-going considering the fact that she was a witch and a rightful member of the coven. Now, her words proved the complete opposite.

“I still don’t understand.”

“Try not to. That’s the easiest solution,” this time, it was Yoongi who spoke up. Sage felt the authoritative tone entangled within his words, almost as if he wanted to take over the situation. It seemed like he tried his best to overthrow the power Congress held over the whole situation.

“Thank you, that helped a lot.”

“They are here,” Jackson announced when the sound of creaking sound of door and voices of two people, who were apparently in the middle of the fight, filled not only the room but the whole residence. Eventually, their voices died once they realized what was going on.

It took them less than a few seconds to approach the living room where now the whole cavalry was waiting for them. Sage bit on her lower lip when her eyes laid on Sunmi, who seemed to know more than anyone else. The same went for the said witch. Her eyes widened when she saw the rest of them in the room – and she did something very unexpected. She turned to Jimin, smacking his shoulder in a not very playful manner.

“You told me no one except Emetri knew! Why are Sage and Serah here?! Did you lie to me again, Park Jimin?!”

“Han Sunmi, the one I missed the most. You were always a fierce one. I’m surprised you are not bound to fire, to be honest. Come here, my sister. I was so excited to see you,” and to everyone’s surprise, the almighty Lee Miseo stood up from her place and approached the new-coming witch. Thanks to Sunmi’s pure confusion, Miseo was able to give her a hug while her lips brushed against Sunmi’s ear in a very intimate and delicate manner. Miseo clearly wanted to provoke Jimin standing just a few inches from them, but no one dared to comment on that.

“Now, be an obedient little witchling and take a place next to your sisters, will you?” she hissed into Sunmi’s ear. The other witch nodded, clearly terrified by Miseo’s behavior. When everyone took their places, except for Yoongi who was reluctant to sit down and felt more comfortable by the window, Miseo finally stepped in front of the fireplace, hands behind her back and chin up while the sly grin played over her features. Her long black hair cascaded perfectly down her back, covering her arms.

“A delicate matter has been brought to our attention, that’s why we met here today. It’s been known that demons moved to London earlier this century. Since they cooperated nicely with the Congress, thank you Namjoon, we let it be. But what we couldn’t let be just like that was another matter that concerns you, Min Yoongi. You and the Fellowship of Ephesus. You and your evil plan. Of course, because of Diana, one of our beloved founders, we knew what was going once since the very beginning. At first, we considered you getting away with your sly little plan. But the allying has crossed the line, Min Yoongi. And we cannot be blind to your doings anymore.”

And by _your_ she definitely didn’t mean only the vampire named Min Yoongi. Her cold eyes lingered around the room; the sly grin wiped off her face as she slid into her true role – the one in which she represented all the witches in the Congress. She gave the vibe of an unapproachable bitch, but in her very core, she cared deeply about her sisters. She wanted them to be safe and sound, she wanted them to walk this planet, to make things better and more colorful, but only under certain conditions. Which they crossed terribly.

“London’s coven has been on my mind so much lately. Ever since I heard about the Prophecy, I knew that things will go down faster then I’d like them to. I know it’s not easy to bear with a queen who is slowly going crazy. But you are under no control anymore. The bond between you is crooked. Two of you were killed lately – one by the handsome Strigoi standing in the corner of the room and one by your very own queen. I guess some of you didn’t know. Well, now you know. Jeon Jungkook is the one to blame. Along with Min Yoongi, of course. You know what? You can blame the whole fellowship. And Diana as well.”

Miseo didn’t care about the storm she caused with her words. She didn’t care about her fellow witch sisters sitting there while fighting their inner urge to strangle her with their powers. She didn’t care about Yoongi who now growled silently as his eyes immediately searched for Sage’s – just to be sure she was okay, even though he knew she was far from that. She also didn’t care about the young Strigoi standing in the corner of the room, nothing but coldness written in his face. She certainly didn’t care about her vampire colleague Jackson, who now covered his face with his hands, cursing the witch internally.

The desperation filled the room as she carried on, filling them up detail by detail; telling them about Yoongi’s intention to make it into the Congress as their next member. She didn’t hesitate to tell them about Diana, who they knew as the Old Crone and she certainly didn’t forget to mention the small detail of Emetri being her only child.

And suddenly, everyone in the room was exposed to raw and honest facts. Miseo did her job perfectly when she approached the bar in the corner of the room while everyone was silent, drown in their own maze of thoughts. No one dared to speak up first. No one even dared to lift their gaze and search for some kind of consolation. No one but Min Yoongi, standing firm on his feet, eyes burning with a newborn hatred towards the witch bitch that waltzed into the residence as if the manor belonged only to her.

“Is that what you wanted? What you intended to do? To make a mess in here? To leave us even more confused than we were before?” he asked, his words daring.

The witch turned to him, having a glass of his beloved scotch tightly secured between her bony fingers.

“You were never the confused one, Yoongi. You are the one who caused this mess and I’m the one who is obligated to clean it up. This deal crossed every line possible. To be honest, I saw the point you tried to make in here, I really did. But because of your doings, witches went rogue. They are uncontrollable anymore. Not only they lost their queen due to her witching sleep, but their bond is also slowly crumbling, fading, falling apart. And this one,” she said, directing her attention to Sage. “This one went even further. Sage, do you know that necromancy is a bad thing, right? It’s even worse when you perform it on your own family. I have my eyes and ears everywhere. I know you evoked the spirit of your grandmother to ask you what you’ve been supposed to find out on your own. What you did is considered treason against your own kind. I could go on all night, but I don’t want to be here for such a long time. All of you know what you did – either now or in the past. The Congress will come with a verdict tomorrow.”

“You can’t,” to everyone’s surprised, Hoseok stepped out of the shadows, his eyes gleaming with pure rage.

“Wolf. How dare you speak to me like that?”

“You can’t come with a verdict unless the Consul is here. Consul is the one to pronounce the verdict. Where is Lee Taemin?”

Lee Taemin, the most feared member of the Congress, the one who held true power in his hands for centuries. Many simply called him the Wolf because they feared him. He helped to form the Congress all those years ago when he was mere a young man, an alpha of his pack. Until he lost his mate and went berserk. It took him ages to find the right path again when he met Diana, a young goddess that pretended to be a witch. With her help, he built a strong bond and companionship that has nowadays been known as the Congress. They were supposed to take care of the wellbeing of the other supernatural beings. Of course, as years went by, the whole concept of the Congress turned into an ugly political game full of desire and intrigues.

“Lee Taemin is out there, taking care of his own business. But you don’t need to worry, my friend. He will be here tomorrow. I expect to see you at noon. All of you. Jackson, we are leaving. Let them discuss. But please, don’t burn down the manor. This place is really beautiful, it would be such a shame to destroy it.”

With these words, Miseo downed the rest of the scotch, leaving the empty glass on the bar. Jackson only nodded to her, leaving the room without saying goodbye. Namjoon immediately shot to his feet and tried to stop him, but he was too slow. The vampire smoked away, leaving the witch to leave on her own.

***

The room erupted into a loud turmoil the second Miseo closed to door in a not very silent matter. Sage suspected her of using her powers to make a grandiose exit – not that it mattered. She felt her brain on fire as she was processing everything the queen of the witches has just said. And she came to a simple conclusion – everything was a fraud.

And everyone lied.

She turned to Emetri, millions of questions mirroring in her confused eyes.

“Did you know about this? Why am I even asking, of course, you knew about this. You knew all this time and you didn’t tell us anything. Did you know it when the demons moved to London? Was it all planned? Have you been waiting for the moment we are dead as well?” questions fell down Sage’s lips as she fought the tears in the corner of her eyes once again. It was too much to take in in a single one day.

Emetri took a deep breath and shook her head in disagreement. She knew that being honest with her closest ones was the only way out of this mess. If ever.

“I only got to know a few months ago. Yes, the Old Crone is my mother. I’ve never wanted to come out with the truth because I’ve never been close to her. But she asked me for help, and I felt obligated to do so. She told me about the Prophecy, and that was the moment I learnt it was inevitable. We would die either way. The Prophecy, the full picture of it. You can’t even imagine what depths it reaches.”

“Then enlighten us as you may be the most informed witch in the room right now,” Serah hissed through her gritted teeth, completely done with everything and everyone. Even the demon who kept staring at her all the damn time.

“As I said, we were all supposed to die, and my mother saw it. It was before she got in contact with Yoongi and his fellowship. She saw a perfect opportunity to save us all. At first, I thought she only wanted to get rid of the coven because she never liked Dye that much. But the more I was looking into it, the more I understood. Until it finally clicked, and I saw the full picture. The deal with Yoongi and the fellowship was a one-way ticket out of this hell. That was when I came into the picture. My mother made me cooperate with Yoongi. I made a deal with him – my intel for his protection. He said only four of us can make it, so I had to choose. And I chose you. I—it’s not fair and I realize it. Also, I should have told you before, but it was too dangerous. I didn’t know whether Dye was listening or not. Besides, all of you were busy with your private lives. It was too much.”

Sage almost felt sorry for her. Almost. She understood it must have been hard to carry around a secret this big, on the other hand, she cursed her internally exactly for not telling them beforehand. Maybe, just maybe, if they knew, things would end up differently, not with the Congress breathing down their necks and threatening them with a verdict they are going to hear tomorrow.

Also.

She looked up only to see Yoongi already staring back. All that time she felt his eyes on her body, but she couldn’t bring herself to look back at him. There was something she felt about him, something new and unexplored, but it shattered in the moment Miseo told them it was him who stood behind the curtain and mastered it all.

Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to hate him. For some weird reason, she still felt attached to him even though she shouldn’t have.

“Jimin told me last night. But he skipped a few details about Yoongi’s intention. He was once a member – or is, again. I have no idea. But I’ve known since yesterday,” Sunmi confessed and for Sage, it clicked again. That’s why Sunmi didn’t look surprised when she arrived along with Jimin. Serah was the last one. She turned to her, but the water-bound witch was already speaking.

“I didn’t know anything, don’t look at me like that. I can say it was an accident for me to find out. It was my turn to guard Dye when Emetri came – and she was _so_ careless. Because she wasn’t the only one. One of the demon brothers kept her a company. After I asked her what does it mean and she didn’t answer, they dragged me here where I got to see the full picture. And then the Congress came. Which is very suspicious, but at this point, I will just go with everything.”

The witches went silent, every single one of them drowned in her own thoughts. Things had to fall in the right place before they would be ready to discuss what’s going to happen next. They also thought about their sisters, at least Sage did. The Congress held a strong power in their hands, it must have shaken the roots of London’s supernatural life. Right now, they were probably hiding in the Forest of Forbidden, guarding Dye.

“How?” Sage asked suddenly, stealing their attention.

“How what?” Emetri looked at her, confused.

“How were we supposed to die?”

“Do you really want to know?”

“That’s why I’m asking you, Em. How were we supposed to die?”

“In a fire during one of our meetings. My mother saw the safe haven burned to ashes – with us inside. Dye was the only one to survive.”

“Of course, she was,” Sunmi chuckled silently. It was a bitter laugh, full of her repressed emotions. The sound hit Jimin’s ears and he immediately turned in her direction. But the witch was clearly ignoring him.

“And Dye knew all the way long. Somehow, I feel betrayed but relieved at the same time? I mean—we get to live, after all. Under dirty circumstances, but we still do. I—I can see why you did what you did, Em,” Serah turned to Emetri, taking her cold hand in her. She held her tightly, almost as if she wordlessly wanted to tell her that eventually, everything will be okay.

“Yes, we get to live. But can you really live with something like this? Knowing that we basically betrayed our sisters?” Sunmi asked, biting on her lower lip.

“It almost sounds like you are siding with the so-called fellowship. Is it because of Jimin? Or did you change your mind?” Sage asked a little bit harsher than she first intended to. The situation was overwhelming, and she only tried to find a steady middle. But the said steady middle was nowhere near to reach.

“I’m not siding with anyone and I’m definitely not into the idea just because of Jimin. I’m just thinking about the consequences that might be waiting for us. Aren’t you afraid? Em just told us we were about to die, but then Yoongi stepped in and promised to protect us. I know, it was for his own goal, and he might not really care about us, but still. Don’t get me wrong I’m as confused and angry as you are. I feel betrayed, because, let’s be honest here, I’ve never expected Jimin to turn his back to me like this. But he did and now all of us had to face it. There’s a way for us to get out of this wicked circle without any damage.”

“Without any damage, I see. You are wrong. The damage has already been done here,” with that, Sage got up from her seat, her feet carrying her deep into the manor. And the rest of them only kept staring after her.

***

“I didn’t think I’d find you here, but since your beloved sisters are still down there in the living room, it would be foolish of you to leave alone. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you stayed. That you decided to—”

“I never said I decided on anything. I’m still coming into a conclusion, to be honest. All of this… It’s too much for me right now. And with the Congress being involved? That was unexpected.”

Yoongi chuckled as he approached her closer, but to his surprise, she stepped away, her eyes pinned on the floor. She wasn’t her true self right now, and he could see that. He wasn’t that kind of a jerk not to notice the storm raging inside of her. He understood – not every day you encounter the danger lurking from the shadow.

“I’m sorry you had to find out like this. Believe me, I wanted to tell you.”

“But?”

“But what?”

“There’s always a ’but’. So, what’s yours?”

“There’s no but, honestly. I wanted to tell you, but could you imagine it? What would you think if I suddenly tell you that, yes, I came here to kill the members of your coven. Do you remember the first time we met at the market? I knew you were a witch and I knew that somehow you were one of my targets. But when I met you for the second time, with Emetri already on my side, I felt that you are going to be one of them. One of those saved. For some reason, I couldn’t stay away from you. I broke every rule I set for myself. I brought you here, I was talking to you. I even showed you the map I drew all those years ago.”

Something inside of her shifted, as much as she was fighting it. He was being sincere to her, exposing his very core, showing the vulnerable side of him. But it still couldn’t compete with her inner feeling of being betrayed. He came into her life, uninvited and he did something she didn’t expect. The order to kill fell down his lips, and that she couldn’t let him get away with.

“What are you trying to do right now? Do you want me to be on your side?”

“Yes,” he admitted, pretty much shamelessly.

“I can’t be the person you want me to be.”

“And that is? Who do you think I want you to be?” he asked and approached her once again, but unsurprisingly, she took another step back. Being in each other’s presence was still hard for her with his intentions on her mind.

“A murderer.”

A soft chuckle left his lips as he shook his head in disbelief. She indeed was confused, and he didn’t know where to begin to explain to her that no, he didn’t want her to be a murdered, nor some kind of an assassin. The spellbound of her persona was too strong for him to resist, and the greedy man he always was, he wanted her.

As a member of the fellowship, he so desperately tried to convince himself. Having emotions mixed with his work was something he always resented. Yet, this witch waltzed in his life and he was mesmerized.

“I don’t want you to be a murderer, witchling. I might know some things about you, very interesting things. That’s why I hereby offer you a place in the fellowship. Once you are a member, even the Congress won’t be able to touch you and your sisters. We are operating on terms they cannot fight therefore it would make you untouchable. Come on, _Sage_ ,” her name rolled down his tongue in a delicate matter – the one that sent shivers dancing down her spine.

“I’m enraged.”

“I know.”

“I feel betrayed. I feel the hatred running through my inners. On the other hand, I feel pain like never before. I’m hurt and confused. Everything I believed in changed in a snap of fingers. And you expect me to answer you? You expect me to actually agree with your offer?”

“That I indeed do,” he nodded again, this time biting on his lower lip, feeling his fangs brushing the sensitive skin. He caught her staring with her eyes shining. To her surprise, a genuine smile spread over his features. He decided to be full-force honest with her – if it meant bringing her to their side.

“You are a shameless man, Min Yoongi. Has anyone ever told you?” she sighed heavily as she approached the bar in the corner of the room. She poured not one but two glasses of scotch, handing him the glass afterward. “We are not toasting; we are just drinking tonight.”

“I’m not going to repeat myself, but yes, you are right. I’m a shameless man and I’m glad when I can be straightforward. In the end, it’s the easiest way to achieve something. But I really hope you understood this one – I couldn’t come all the way to you and tell you that, hey, yeah, I came here to get rid of you all. Well, maybe not all, but that’s it,” he shrugged, his words incoherent. This situation was fucked up and he didn’t know what else should he do to make her believe. Perhaps, it was better to leave it be. To let her heal, to let her understand.

Unfortunately, with the Congress breathing down their necks, it was next to impossible.

“You make it sound like right now, it’s up to me to decide.”

“Isn’t it? You seemed to be a pack leader.”

That made her laugh. A genuine sound that came deep from her core after what seemed like an eternity. It’s been a really long time since she laughed like this – from the bottom of her heart.

“That I’m definitely not. I’m not even a bearer of the key. Which, by the way, brings me to another question. Well, considering we are being brutally honest with each other right now, where’s the fire key? It disappeared when my sister died. I was wondering—”

She was surprised how easy it was to talk about such an unfortunate event while facing the man who caused it all. But somehow, she still couldn’t make herself to hate him. Maybe it was the way he was talking to her. Maybe it was the raw honesty he decided to show her. Or maybe she was finally going crazy like her queen did.

Suddenly, Yoongi reached for the chain hanging around his neck, securely hidden under his shirt. He revealed the key seconds later while she only shook her head, downing the rest of the scotch in the glass.

“Why am I not surprised? Of course, you have it. Do you even know how it works?”

“I have a rough idea. But feel free to enlighten me.”

“Well, it’s not going to work without the rest of the keys, but that you probably already know, don’t you?”

“Figured it out,” the vampire nodded in a curious manner. Honestly, he knew everything about the keys. He did his research with a little help from his fellow brothers and the other members of the fellowship. Also, Diana provided him with some crucial details that helped him to put the whole picture together. Still, he decided to keep it from her for a little longer as he expected her to provide him with further information.

“With all four of them—you will hold incredible power over time and place. You would be able to access whatever place or time you want to. At this point it becomes quite problematic since not a single witch has ever tried to do such a thing. We never knew in what manner we would mingle with the time, so it’s really dangerous.”

That was the missing piece of information he lacked – at least up until now.

“Does it mean I cannot use them?” he asked her, and in that moment, he knew that he was screwed, and she could probably read him better than an open book. His guard was let down way more easily with her by his side than any other time before.

“Unless you want to be responsible for possible twists in history, then no, you cannot use them. It’s one of the reasons the keys had been split eons ago. They were one once, and they held a great power that had to be divided into four signs. I don’t know how much you actually know about the hierarchy of the coven of witches, but there are four groups consisting of three members of each element. One of those three members is always chosen to be the bearer of the key. Or, I should say, the key is always choosing its bearer. I suppose you know who the bearers in our coven are?”

At this point, it was probably pointless to ask him things like this, but she was curious. He managed to sneak in and collect information on his behalf with a tiny little help from his closest ones. He must have been familiar with such information by now.

“To be honest with you, that is something I didn’t know. I mean, the fact that the key chooses its own bearer. To your other question, yes, I already know who they are. Han Sunmi is already there, so I don’t have to worry about the air key – even though I really suspected you are the one bearing it. Never mind. My men are watching closely the other two. I don’t know how interested the Congress is in the keys, but I won’t let it fall into their hands. I want the keys. And I will have them when the right time comes.”

“Foolish of you to think you will be strong enough to bear them all. Even bearing one is incredibly hard – but I guess you possessed the knowledge by now. It’s dragging you down, isn’t it? You find yourself being blind to your surroundings. Your balance is not what it used to be before. Sometimes, you cannot tell what’s real and what’s a mere fantasy. Considering you are a vampire; it must be harder than when a witch is bearing it. I advise you to hand the key now – before it ruins your plan, if not your entire life.”

“If this is a game, then I’m not participating in it. You, witches, have always been sly players. I’m not handing you the key.”

“I don’t want you to hand me the fucking key, I want you to stop wearing it around your fucking neck, you moron! It’s a strong magic even witches can’t hold sometimes! It’s making you vulnerable and open, it’s making you blind and deaf to the outer world! And you are a fucking vampire, a so-called leader of your fellowship of I-have-no-idea-what, so I guess you cannot afford to lose a track of what’s real and what’s not. Just put it down if you want to be the savior of the world.”

The irritation inside of her kept growing and growing until she found herself exploding. Whether it was because of what she learned just hours ago or whether it was because he was sassy enough to parade himself around with a witch’s belonging, that she didn’t know. What she knew was the fact that the vampire standing in front of her, his posture mirroring nothing else but power and glory, get on her nerves in the worst way possible. For some reason, she expected him to put the chain down, to even throw it away with the newly gained information from her, but he did neither of that. He kept standing in the same spot, his eyes sliding up and down her body as she stood there, calming the raging storm that woke up inside of her. The storm he caused in the first place.

“The safest place is around my neck. I can’t risk putting it away, witchling. See, I still don’t believe my newly re-joined members. It’s been years since we get along like that. They have a trust-issues towards me, as well. I cannot hold it against them, though. It wasn’t a nice goodbye when they left my side back all those years ago. So, believe me when I tell you I can’t let this key just to lay around like that. It would be dangerous – not only towards me but towards you and your sisters as well. In the end, they are demons, aren’t they?”

His words genuinely surprised her, and she would be lying if she said she didn’t see the point in them. He was only trying to protect what was precious to him. In his own twisted way, of course. But it still didn’t pardon him from what he has done before.

“I don’t think I will ever be able to forgive you for what you have done.”

“As you may have noticed before, I’ve never asked for your forgiveness. I know that what I did is unforgivable. Unforgettable. I don’t know what else. You can be sure that I’m never going to ask you to forgive me.”

Perhaps it was the boldness written in his face when he said he is not going to beg her that made her move closer to him. And perhaps it was the growing hole in her chest from the recent breakup that made her approach him until she was only inches away from him. Perhaps she was losing her mind, exactly like the queen, who was still secured in the cottage in the Forest of Forbidden. She couldn’t tell at the moment. But the second she reached her hand for him, touching the firm muscles hidden under the thin layer of his shirt, she lost it completely.

“You are not going to leave me alone, are you?”

The breath hitched in his throat when she approached him closer, stopping only mere inches in front of him. She even dared to touch him, the exact place where the key was hidden under his shirt – and more.

“How could I?”

“That’s the key talking,” she murmured silently, but he caught the slight glimpse of a smile flashing through her features until it completely vanished away.

“That is not,” he said simply when he reached under his shirt to tear the chain off his neck and throw the thing somewhere into the space behind his back. “It’s definitely not the key talking. I’m stronger than that, you should remember it, witchling.”

“I can’t kiss you,” she babbled out of nowhere even though she didn’t take a step back either.

He chuckled and his hot breath hit the sensitive skin of her neck.

“Then why did you approach me so angrily? Didn’t you want me to do this?” he asked while one of his arms sneakily wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer until their bodies collided. He leaned in dangerously, his lips gently brushed against hers.

“You don’t have to be afraid of me.”

“I’m not,” she almost growled.

“Prove it.”

With the last brain cell leaving her body for good, she finally gave in. With a simple movement of her body, she leaned in, her lips now locked with his.

Damn.

She never thought kissing a vampire would feel this good.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "So, you all should drink tonight for tomorrow will be full of sadness and sorrow.”

Her boots clicked against the marble floor covering the entry hallway that led to a massive door. Nothing was impossible for Lee Miseo, not even finding the safe haven Sage was talking about before. The place basically smelled with the witch magic as they didn’t bother to cover up their tracks. She didn’t know whether it was because the members of London’s coven thought so highly about themselves being untouchable or because they were just being careless. She bet on the latter, but one could never know.

She reached for the cold doorknob, opening the door silently. Jackson offered himself to be her companion for the night, but he knew better than the witch will say no. It was still a sacred place no one besides a person with magic-bound blood could step a foot into. He still asked. And he was still rejected, exactly as he supposed to be.

So, it was only Miseo who came here to examine the place witches occupied when they needed to discuss something. She had to admit, the spacious round-shaped room was breathtaking as the walls were covered with bookshelves that almost reached the ceiling. Some of them were really rare, she felt the annoying nudging to snap one of them and tug it securely under her coat. In the end, she did not do such a thing as she was a reputable member of the Congress, not a mere thief.

She carefully observed the room while she slowly circled the table in the middle. Miseo gently touched every single one of the chairs behind it, feeling the energy of each witch that previously occupied the place. She felt the hierarchy built within the coven still lingering around the room. They were strong once, there was no doubt about that. Miseo would be stupid to say it wasn’t a shame to lose such a strong coven – despite the destiny waiting for them.

The Prophecy that caused the major fallout of London’s coven shook with her inners once such information reached her ears. Of course, she kept her eyes on them, having spies all around the world to keep her updated on various covens. But London’s one was her favorite, and that was the reason she felt the heart in her chest clutching with pain.

“It’s sad, isn’t it? No one expected them to end up like this. But some things be like that when you get too powerful and greedy. Dye couldn’t expect anything else but her very own downfall. Poor girl, if only she didn’t aim too high in such a short span of time. No one can save her now,” another woman entered the room without Miseo noticing her. But once she looked at the newcomer, she immediately knew why she failed to notice her first.

And to her surprise, instead of the Old Crone, a very familiar face stood there. Her face was now free of wrinkles, her eyes not blind anymore as her irises shone with crystal-clear blue color. Silky-like long black hair covered her back while a sly grin flashed through her now young features. She looked nothing like the old hag that was supposed to be cursed in the Forest of Forbidden. Of course, she had them fooled all with her fragile façade she decided to adopt all those centuries ago. A façade of an old witch that was facing her death wish day by day.

“Diana. It’s a pleasure to meet you again,” Miseo nodded only, yet she took a step back from the woman standing in front of her.

“I’m sorry that I can’t say the same about you, sly little witch. What you want to do to my daughter’s coven is inconceivable. Do you really think Taemin will agree with such a decision?” the older one asked her as she took a place where Dye used to sit during their meetings. The young witch representing the others in the Congress only scoffed, turning her back to the older one. She circled the room one more time, letting the silent fright of the newcomer sink in. Miseo wasn’t stupid not to know that Diana was dangerous. She was almost as old as the soil they were walking on.

“How do you know about that?” Miseo asked. There was no way Diana could overhear the members of the Congress talking a few hours ago. It was mostly Miseo’s idea and she did everything she could to convince Taemin to agree with her.

“Let’s say I’m still in mild contact with Taemin from time to time. I found him wandering dangerously close to the border of the Forest of Forbidden a few minutes ago. He willingly told me everything about that little wicked plan of yours. He also told me about the way you convinced him to agree with you, but that is a matter I’m not going to comment on since I’m not interested in your personal life, Miseo. I just came to warn you – I had a deal with Min Yoongi. A deal that was blessed by Lee Taemin himself.”

“Listen, Diana. I understand that you are worried about your daughter and her little friends, but it was the deal that got them into a trouble. One deal after another. It piled up and we cannot be blind to the side consequences of your doings. Yours and Yoongi’s as well. I understand that you want to save them, but I can’t guarantee you everything from the said deal with be accomplished. I can’t let a Strigoi take a place beside us. You were the one who came up with the rules, and now you want to change them? After years and years of being valid?” Miseo clicked her tongue as she finally took a place opposite of Diana. Now they were facing each other, throwing accusations and broken promises.

“Then why did you accept Kim Namjoon as your silent companion? Don’t tell me you are not aware of his background as he came straight from hell, my dear,” Diana chuckled silently, but the laugh lingered around the room, echoing with something that once again awoke the fright inside of Miseo.

“It was inevitable if we wanted to keep an eye on the coven. He also provided us with information as the main Informant went AWOL.”

That was something that made Diana chuckle again, shaking her head in pure disbelief of how easily Miseo unfolded the truth right in front of her eyes.

“Was that the reason why Park Jimin left Min Yoongi’s fellowship? To be a spy for you? Oh, my dear little one, you should know better that Park Jimin works for everyone who provides him with everything he needs, me included.”

Park Jimin was one of the key protagonists in this little play Diana orchestrated. He was working in plain daylight while when in shadows, he always came to Diana, telling her what he found out – either about the coven, the Congress, or about the fellowship. With that, Diana was perfectly informed about everything that was happening in London without having to step her feet out of the Forest of Forbidden, so she could play her role perfectly.

“What do you—”

“I mean, Park Jimin did it all. That’s how I managed to get Yoongi in here. And to answer the question I see in your face, yes, the Prophecy is right. I didn’t make it up as you now assume me to. They were supposed to burn here, in this very room as we are sitting here and talking. At this hour. As you can see, I prevented it all with my little play and deals you hate so much. It was a win-win situation for me and for Yoongi as well, as I knew that there was still a way how to contact Taemin – again, with Jimin’s help. I promised him a place in the Congress after a long discussion with Taemin to make it possible, in exchange for getting rid of the coven. Unfortunately, what I didn’t see was you and Jackson, stepping up in the game. Maybe Taemin really is weak for you and stabbed a knife in my back by sending you here, but see, my little one, I still hold a string of power over that foolish little wolf.”

Miseo couldn’t believe the words that fell down the old witch’s lips. She sat there, cold shivers running down her spine as she only looked at Diana, letting the words sink into her very core. For some reason, Miseo couldn't accept the fact that somehow, she became a mere pawn in this hunt after the power and glory.

“What do you want from me now? What are you asking me to do? You proved your point in here, you proved that you are still strong, so tell me, what do you want?”

“It’s easy. I want you to fulfill at least a part of my deal with Yoongi and Taemin. Yoongi doesn’t need to become a member of your so-called Congress as one day, he is going to overthrow you with his own strongly built fellowship. Right now, I’m merely asking you to spare my daughter and the three other witches she chose to survive when she accepted her role in this game. Do what you planned to do with the rest of the witches, but leave those four alone, do you understand?”

“I don’t think I can—”

“Oh, dear, of course you can. I’m not going to discuss this matter with you anymore,” Diana scoffed when she stood up from her chair, approaching the nearby door. She gave Miseo one last glance over her shoulder as she reached for the doorknob.

“I will be there tomorrow. If you won’t do as I asked you to, I will personally rip the heart out of your chest with my bare hands. Remember my words.”

***

Min Yoongi sat in the armchair opposite of the bed for the past few hours, and his eyes never left the tiny figure lying in the bed he should have been occupying by now. Not that he minded since he knew she needed some proper sleep more than he did. After they broke the kiss in the study room and she completely melted into his body, he knew that there was nothing more to expect from her. Once again, not that he wanted to. The mess swirling in her head was quite visible in her eyes as she murmured something about kissing vampires. As a response, he only chuckled and led her to his room.

So, he ended up sitting here, his index finger pressed against his lips without the intention of his eyes leaving her body.

But as it always was, his companions didn’t share his intentions as they invaded the room without even knocking first. Namjoon poked his head inside, followed by Taehyung and then their oldest brother, Seokjin, who didn’t talk much lately, but that didn’t matter because Yoongi could read everything from his eyes.

They all mumbled something about having drinks, bringing the old times back for sake of the brighter tomorrow, which probably wouldn’t be any brighter, but the drinks were never a bad idea. He internally fought with himself because he didn’t really want to leave the little witch, now buried under the sheets that still held his scent.

“I can’t leave her alone.”

“Come on, she is not a small child unable to defend herself in case of danger. Besides, we are only going for a drink and the members of Congress won’t come back until tomorrow noon, so I guess it’s safe to leave her alone with her sisters,” surprisingly, such words came from Seokjin. Namjoon smiled softly, patting the older brother on his shoulder. Yoongi could hear the silent murmur coming to his ears from the hallway – it probably belonged to Jimin and Jungkook. While the youngsters led a silent conversation, the remaining member of the fellowship, the wolf himself, only grunted. Hoseok never liked the idea of letting things off guard, but even he had to admit that after the last few turbulent months, he needed to cool off a little.

That was exactly how Yoongi ended up in this pub, having a glass of whisky while in his thoughts, he wandered to the tiny witch in his bed. Did she wake up? Did she look for him through the house? Or did she sleep, completely clueless that the vampire left her side? He was drowned in his thoughts until Namjoon cleared his throat, ready to give a toast.

But he wasn’t fast enough.

Because as always, fate didn’t imagine it that way.

“It’s been always nice to see all seven of you together. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d witness something like that again, but here we go. Do you care if we join you?”

None of them knew how Jackson and Taemin were able to find them the same as no one dared to question their intentions when they took a place by the table without guys’ approval.

“Weren’t we supposed to see each other tomorrow? What would Miseo think if she saw you here with us? As I remember her, she would take it as a stab in her back. A betrayal,” it was Namjoon who gained enough courage to speak up first. He immediately took over the position of the leader since Yoongi was wallowing because of leaving his potential lover alone.

“Yeah, you married a fury all those centuries ago,” Taehyung murmured as he took a sip of the drink Namjoon ordered them all. One would think that teasing a high member of the Congress would cost them a head, but Taemin only chuckled, the softness mirroring in his deep brown eyes. The thing was – he exactly knew who he married all those centuries ago. And he was still mesmerized by the powerful yet sometimes a bit ruthless witch Miseo grew into.

“I’m not here to talk about my dear wife, friends. I came here to see you – and to prevent a further allying,” he chuckled which followed a small bow of his head when a glass of scotch has landed in front of him.

“This is not allying. This is a friendly meeting only. Which, in my honest opinion, requires us to toast. To old times,” Namjoon raised his glass, waiting for the rest of the group to join him. They did and in a matter of seconds, everyone around the table took a big swig of their drinks.

“Before we start to discuss something, or before this conversation turns into something ugly, I’d like to let you all know that I’m officially done with my job of Informant and I’m definitely re-joining the fellowship. Taemin, as you may understand, my part in the Congress is done. I assume your wife will reveal everything tomorrow, so I wanted you to know in advance,” Jimin cleared his throat and poured himself some more of the alcohol. He needed that because if Miseo indeed reveals anything tomorrow, Sunmi will probably turn him into a frog. If not worse.

“I saw this coming. I told you, Taemin,” Jackson only scoffed, ready to throw hands if needed. But Taemin only shook his head, the soft smile never leaving his lips nor his eyes.

“There’s no need to fight, Jackson. It’s Jimin’s decision. He never signed any official document binding him to us, it was only his choice to provide us with information. If he wants to leave, let him leave. There are always other ways to know about things. In the end, we are the Congress, aren’t we?” Taemin might have appeared as a delicate prince with his soft features and brown curly hair that fell to his shoulders, but there was also something feral in his eyes, something that left the others sitting at the edge of the chair, not knowing what to expect from the uncrowned king of the supernatural.

“If you think so,” the Moroi only shrugged, yet he couldn’t help himself to seal a glance in Jimin’s direction. The other Moroi seemed to be a bit tensed as he was probably scared to confess his intentions.

“Tell me something, Taemin. What does your wife want to do with the witches? What do _you_ want to do with the witches? Are you going to execute them? Hurt them somehow?” it was the first time Yoongi spoke ever since they arrived at the small establishment.

“Why, are you worried?” the crease appeared in between Taemin’s eyebrows as he scanned the Strigoi sitting opposite of him.

“No, I’m just interested,” Yoongi lied without the intention to actually lie, but he didn’t give a damn. He wanted to know what the Congress prepared for the witches as Miseo seemed to be on fire when she spat those words out of her mouth. She must have had something on her mind when she visited Namjoon’s residence, therefore Yoongi was sure Taemin probably had a clue.

Or not.

“Unfortunately, I cannot discuss that matter with you right now. Look, I came here in peace. And even though here, my dearest colleague Jackson, might not look like that, he came in peace as well. We were once friends and I’d be very upset to throw such a bond away. So, let us just drink tonight. And tomorrow, we will talk.”

With that, Taemin cut the conversation without anyone stopping him. All of them silently nodded, knowing that once Taemin said something, his word was definite.

“So, since we are avoiding every topic related to the situation, we are in right now, tell me, how is it going in Italy?” Namjoon asked, being the one who led the conversation as the others didn’t really want to join. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to talk to Taemin or Jackson, but the tension they brought with themselves was disturbing enough to keep them quiet.

“The mundane political situation is a mess, but we are trying our best to keep our people safe. I can say you are doing the same with your fellowship, aren’t you, Yoongi?” Taemin turned to the Strigoi who was unusually quiet. As much as Taemin remembered him, Yoongi was always the one to fight, he never gave up when someone told him off. Right now, he seemed to be deep in his thoughts, the world around him completely indifferent.

“As I told you many times before, Taemin, I’m always doing my best to protect the people who decided to join my fellowship.”

“Yet, you had a witch killed,” Taemin nodded, but his eyes mirrored something close to a twisted understanding.

“That I had. With your wife apparently being aware of it. So, you really can’t blame me now, wolf. Words travel fast nowadays,” Yoongi only shrugged, pouring himself some more of the alcohol as his eyes flickered in Jimin’s direction. Of course, he knew about the dealings Jimin provided to all sides – Diana’s, fellowship’s and Congress’. He liked the Moroi’s slyness, the way he always blended whenever he went, letting the information sink in and then pass it to the ones who needed it. Or paid for it. What really made him happy was the moment when Jimin decided to come back to the fellowship completely – without having his dirty ties with the others. Yoongi also highly suspected it had something to do with the witch Jimin was seeing. As long as she was going to influence him like that, he was more than happy to welcome her in their group.

“I’d really appreciate it if we stopped talking about my wife and her business.”

“Her business? Does it mean you don’t know what your wife does behind your back? That just doesn’t seem like you, Taemin, I’m sorry to hear that,” Seokjin chuckled as something wicked flickered in his eyes.

“She is a witch, so what can I say? She understands the situation better than I do. Also, I’m not letting her do anything without my consent, nor without consulting with other members or acquaintances. We all knew about Jimin – about what he did and what he is still doing. Look, I really came here to have a nice talk with you all. I don’t want to talk business nor politics right now. And I’d be really happy if you at least tried to understand. The situation all of us got into isn’t easy – for none of us. Believe me, I tried my best to avoid our decision, but it happened. And it needs to happen. So, you all should drink tonight for tomorrow will be full of sadness and sorrow.”

***

“Do you think they ran away and let us face our destiny alone?” Serah asked while she was watching Emetri lighting up the candles in the little saloon they found on the second floor of the mansion. It was shortly after midnight and the witches felt more alive than before. Unsurprisingly.

“I don’t think so. They looked like they were ready to fight all of the hellish creatures,” Sunmi shook her head. She kept pacing around, scanning the surroundings of the room. It seemed to be forgotten by the demons living in the residence, but there was a nice stock of scotch. Perks of being trapped in a house owned by the said hellish creatures.

“Sunmi, please,” Emetri rolled her eyes. She took a place next to Sage who was now looking out of the window. The curtains were open, so she had a perfect view of the small plaza in front of the house. For some reason, she expected Miseo to appear out of nowhere, and to scare the living shit out of her soul, but nothing like that eventually happened.

“Isn’t it weird all of them disappeared just like that?” Sage asked, aiming her attention to the rest of the witches. The three of them either sat or stood around, being visibly nervous.

“Not as much as you, sleeping in the vamp’s bed. You were completely knocked out when we found you.”

“Thank you very much for waking me up, by the way. I was taking my precious time as I used a terrible amount of my powers lately, but no, instead of being considerate, you woke up me without even thinking about my wellbeing,” a pout appeared on the lips of the air-bound witch as she recalled the moment she was brutally woken up by her closest ones.

“What were you doing there?” it was Sunmi who was brave enough to ask the question she already knew the answer to. In the end, she was there, all those years ago, so she understood.

“I took a nap.”

“Liar. But okay, we can try again, what were you doing there?” this time, it was Serah who asked.

“He took me there, okay? It _somehow_ happened. You know what, I don’t think this is the right place or the right time to talk about it. We are expecting a storm to hit us tomorrow and all you care about is the vampire and how I ended up in his bed. Quite literally.”

“That might be true, but don’t you think we will forget about this issue. But since you are right, we should talk about tomorrow. What are we going to do?” Emetri’s voice was tangled with worries and something more. Something that reminded a fear that digs deep into your core and leaves you sleepless at night.

“We could run,” Serah suggested with a simple gesture of shrugging her shoulders.

“Or we can face it. Let’s be honest here, what else other than being executed can happen to us?” Sage murmured silently. She wanted to discuss badly, but on the other hand, her thoughts wandered into not so appropriate direction.

“Aren’t we covered with the deal you made with Yoongi?” Sunmi turned to Emetri, having the question she has just asked written all over her face.

“We should be, but with Miseo now in the game, I’m not so sure. I still don’t know how it’s possible she knows so much about everything. And to be honest, I don’t really want to know. I’m just not sure anymore. And I don’t want to think about it. We made too many deals, and everything turned out to be fucked up. That’s why I’m saying we shouldn’t be relying on the fact that someone is going to cover our backs. Though it would be really nice, we better not think about it anymore. You saw her. She was pissed off,” Emetri felt like she was the one leading their small coven – or at least what remained of that.

“Wasn’t she always pissed off?”

The four of them laughed quietly. After what seemed like an eternity, the soft laugh filled the room with a positive, yet somehow hopeless spirit. They all knew that a disaster was coming after them tomorrow because when the Congress comes after you, you are never safe.

“I wonder about the others. Ever since the Congress showed up, I was unable to feel the bond with our sisters. I understand that they probably retreated to the Forest of Forbidden, but the bond is not supposed to be _this_ quiet. Not even Dye is talking to us in her weird way,” the concern was something that ate Serah up from inside ever since the second she stepped into this mansion.

“That is right, they are unusually quiet. I’d expect at least a thought or two from Dye, but it seems like she is completely lost in the limbo. To be honest here, I don’t think she will ever wake up,” Sunmi declared something all of them were thinking, but none of them was brave enough to say it out loud.

“We shouldn’t be talking about her like this.”

“Sage, she was about to burn us alive, according to the Prophecy. It’s only good she is not going to wake up. Who knows what would Congress do to her if she was still out there and conscious? She could easily be the first one to be executed. As much as it might sound brutal, everything is like it’s supposed to be,” Emetri’s words crept down Sage’s spine as she let them sink. The air-bound witch had to admit that her fire-bound sister was right, most probably because she knew way more than the others.

“There is one last thing that we need to figure out,” Sunmi bit on her lower lip when such thing popped in her mind. She was thinking about it before too but completely forgot until they gathered here, in this small saloon.

“And that is?”

“The keys. What is going to happen with the keys? Miseo didn’t say a word, but I doubt she would forget about such an important matter. They are the most valuable possession we have. And considering we’ve already lost one, I don’t think—”

“Let me handle it,” Sage interrupted Sunmi’s speech as the other air-bound witch was about to talk more. The sole reason for her doing was the fact that she actually knew what was going to happen with the keys – at least she had a slight idea after her talking session with Yoongi. And for some reason, she didn’t want the others to know just yet. It was too soon, and the situation was too complicated to think about the keys.

Even though it was inevitable.

“Why would you want to handle it?” Emetri asked as she clearly didn’t believe in Sage’s intentions. They were all suspicious all the time, so it was only a matter of time until they became suspicious of each other.

“Because apparently, I was brought into this mess as the last one and I want to do something about it.”

“That’s not a reason. That’s simply shady, but if you want it so much, why not? I don’t think I’m strong enough to take care of such matter considering the fact that it’s highly possible we won’t be here tomorrow anymore,” Serah shook her head as she reached for another glass of scotch. At first, she wasn’t down for drinking, but the more they were discussing, the better the idea of being a little bit drunk sounded.

On the other hand, Sage could already see the conversation she had planned to have with Yoongi. She told him about the keys, but he still stubbornly wanted to have them all. Honestly, as much as she was thinking about that, she came to a realization she didn’t quite like. But knowing that nothing would be the same anymore, she was more than ready to take this risk.

“I just have a few ideas in my mind – and I don’t want to talk about them just yet. I’m not going to jinx it or anything. You only have to trust me, please. If we are indeed going to do this fellowship crap, then believe me, please. And we will be just fine,” Sage wasn’t sure whether she didn’t reveal more than enough but judging by the glossy glint in her sisters’ eyes, she was still safe.

“Then go for it. Maybe you will be able to make your plan work, who knows,” Emetri’s words were a bit juicier than she first intended to when she sprawled on one of the love seats. Her eyes were slowly closing, and her brain was shutting down. So many things happened in the past twenty-four hours and the only thing she desired right now was a proper sleep – which she wasn’t getting since she was locked in a residence that didn’t belong to her. For a while, she was toying with the idea of wandering around the house with a clear goal of finding a comfortable bed. Yet, even after weeks of working with the demons and vampires, she still didn’t feel comfortable in this mansion.

“Okay, I think it’s time to say good night. I will, hopefully, see you tomorrow,” Sage got up from the sofa, aiming for the door. The rest of them only looked in her direction as she disappeared behind the door.

“Do you think she went back to his room?” Sunmi asked, biting on her lower lip to prevent herself from giggling like crazy. Even in these hard times she found it quite amusing how easily one of her closest ones changed. She turned to be someone entirely else but considering the circumstances, it was only understandable.

“Definitely,” a unison answer came from Emetri and Serah.

***

Instead of going back to _her_ room, she aimed for the main office on the same floor. With a simple spell, she lit the candles secured in hangers on the wall while aiming for the small bar. She really, really wanted to have another glass of scotch to silence her loud mind, but the closer she got to the bottle, the more unsure she grew. In the end, she decided to ignore the bottle of alcohol, and instead of drinking, she took a place by the massive table that was covered in countless pieces of paper.

At first, she felt like interrupting Yoongi’s (or whomever the notes belonged to) space, but as soon as she saw her name on the paper, she grew more curious. So, diving into the pile lying in front of her, she dug through the papers, her eyes running through each line written on it. It seemed like it belonged to Yoongi as he was taking notes on everything he observed.

“Found what you were looking for?”

She almost jumped from her seat when his silent voice filled the room. Her eyes found his only to find out that no, he wasn’t pissed off but rather amused by the witch going through his personal notes. On the other hand, he could only blame himself as he left them lying there unprotected.

Also, it was nothing she didn’t already know.

“Why do you have these?” she asked him as she stood up from the chair, but never approached him. What happened a few hours ago was still playing all over again and again in her mind, but she decided not to give in so easily. There were still some questions left unanswered – and she also wanted to ask him for a big favor.

“You would be surprised, but even vampires can forget sometimes. I like to keep my knowledge on the paper so I can use it later in case there’s a situation. You can’t blame me for that,” he said while his eyes were glistering with excitement he didn’t even bother to cover.

“A sly vampire you are, I see,” she nodded, biting on her lower lip while she played nervously with her fingers. She thought the idea over and over again in her mind, toying with it, deciding whether to tell him or not. She still wasn’t sure because of him and his intentions with the keys, but on the other hand; if she wanted to save at least a piece of the coven, she knew there was no other way to do so. “I need you to do something for me. With me.”

“Now, this is interesting. I’m listening, little one.”

“I need you to come with me.”

“Come where?”

“To the Forest of Forbidden. When the Congress arrived, I felt the weird tingling and the urge to run and hide, which made me sure that my other sisters are there, guarding Dye. They are going to be on the highest alert possible, but I have to do it.”

“What? What do you have to do? Stop talking to me in secret codes, _witchling_. What do you need me to do?”

Sage took a deep breath while looking into his eyes. For a while, she felt lost, she felt like no words are going to leave her lips as she was looking at him, her mind completely blank, turning to a tabula rasa, even.

“We are going to steal the remaining keys. I know we had a talk, and I know we are going to have to deal with this later, but with Miseo coming after us tomorrow—I don’t think it’s going to be easy. She would snatch it, I’m sure about that. We can’t let her have the remaining keys. If we want to build a strong resistance, then—”

“Wait, what are you talking about? What strong resistance? I’m not going to fight the Congress, I’m going to _join_ the Congress, no matter what’s going to happen. Sage,” he approached her closer until he was mere inches away from her. He took her hand in his, gently kissing her knuckles. He felt her shivering under the touch of his lips, and that was something that brought a slight smile to his lips. “We are not going to war. But… it doesn’t mean I’m not going to help you with your wicked little plan. In the end, you know that I fancy the idea of having the keys all for myself.”

“Stupid vampire, it’s going to kill you,” such scoffing words left her lips as the crease formed between her brows. She bravely looked him in the eyes, holding the gaze until he was the one to avert it – with the same smile plastered over his features.

“Just promise me you are not going to fight the Congress tomorrow. Whatever their decision might be, you are not going to fight them. Let me do it. There’s still the deal covering you, shielding you from harm. I won’t let them harm you, okay? Now, when do you want to steal the keys? And how, exactly? The forest is going to be heavily guarded, I bet.”

“We are going to do it right now. The bond is weakened with two witches and a queen in a witching sleep. It will be easy for us to slip into the forest while being unknown to them. I can—I can use my powers on them. Gosh, I never thought I would do something like this. But it needs to be done, so.”

“Who are you and what happened to you while we were gone? Is this some kind of trickery to get me into trouble before the meeting with Congress?” he asked her, a bit unsure about her idea. Of course, he would gladly own all of the keys, but for some weird reason, he didn’t like her sudden decision. But then again, he somehow saw her point. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed heavily.

“Fine. Do the others know about your plan?”

“No one knows what exactly I am going to do. I only promised them to take care of this issue. Miseo didn’t say a thing about the keys, but I know that the wicked bitch is thinking about it. And I won’t let her get away with something that doesn’t belong to her,” she shook her head aggressively. Maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t the greatest idea to invade their stock of scotch and drink a good half of it. However, without that, she probably wouldn't be so brave.

“Then I think we should go before it’s too late, _witchling_.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So, that’s it? This is really it?”
> 
> “Yes, that’s it. This is the end. But also a new beginning.”

The next morning was nerve-wrecking. Serah woke up before the sun peeked from above the horizon. She fell asleep in the small saloon on the sofa opposite Emetri in a not very comfortable position. When Sage walked out of the room last night, the other air-bound witch didn’t take a long time to leave them as well. So, in the end, it was only Serah and Emetri in the saloon, talking quietly until both of them drifted into rather unpleasant sleep. Emetri was tossing from side to side while Serah was chased by nightmares in which she was back in Spain with her family. That was the reason she now quietly slipped out of the saloon, walking down the hallway only to reach the staircase.

And a demon standing there with his arms folded on his board chest.

“Can’t sleep?” he asked with his deep and I-just-woke-up raspy voice. Serah only shook her head, completely ignoring his presence as she passed him to go downstairs. But the youngest demon had none of her non-social behavior and followed her immediately.

“Where are you going?” he kept asking.

“To find a kitchen so I can have a nice cup of tea before everything falls apart later today. Don’t you think it’s a good idea? To enjoy a quiet morning before the end of the world?” she suddenly turned to him, her brown eyes meeting his emerald shining ones. The corner of his lips curled upward, gifting her with a rather sly smile.

“Then let me lead the way, I wouldn’t like you to get lost in this house. It’s too big and too dangerous to wander around unprotected.”

“So now the house is dangerous? Not you?” seriously, he was something completely else with his smile and shining eyes and messy hair. And deep raspy voice she somehow found intimidating.

“Of course, I’m dangerous. And I think you are dangerous as well. It would be stupid of me not to think so. You are a witch and a member of the most powerful coven on British islands. Well, rather ex-member, but still. I’m not going to fuck around you like my middle brother. I respect the other supernatural creatures; I don’t use them like Yoongi. But yes, I’m still dangerous. And so are you.”

His posture changed in a snap of fingers. The smile was gone and the gaze in his eyes grew much colder than before. He wasn’t the friendly demon next door he appeared to be yesterday. Now she could see the true essence hiding inside, lurking from behind his emerald green eyes.

“That was too dramatic for such an early morning, but I see your point. Now, lead the way to the kitchen, please. I really need my morning tea.”

With her reply, the smug smirk made another appearance on his lips as he led the way to the comfortable kitchen. It was a small room but with everything she needed as she reached for the small kettle with some water already inside. And while she was preparing the tea, clearly using her powers, Taehyung stood in the doorframe, leaning against its wooden surface. He never saw a witch practicing witchcraft from this close distance, so it was needless to say he was fascinated by her. She danced around the kitchen as if the whole place belonged to her, her long hair flowing behind like a silk curtain.

“Aren’t you afraid?” he asked her suddenly, quite frankly interested in her answer. And she looked at him from above the long curls of her hair covering almost all of her face. She gently tugged those strands behind her ear, taking one deep breath.

“Of course, I am afraid. I’m scared to the marrow of my bones something bad will happen – not only to me but to my sisters as well. We were supposed to be dead, burn alive by our very queen. But that doesn’t mean I’m not worried about her as well. She is so defenseless right now, alone in the Forest of Forbidden. I’m scared to death, Taehyung. I’m scared she will execute us.”

It was Taehyung’s turn to take a deep breath – and to the surprise of both of them, to approach her as well. He was careful not to hurt her in any way as he put his hands on her arms, holding her tightly in one place. And he did his best not to cuddle her closer and hold her just to protect her from the outer world and the harm that was lurking in the shadows. On the other hand, he knew that it would be highly inappropriate since officially, they got to know each other only yesterday. So, he just remained standing there, holding her in one place while she was looking into his eyes. Sadly for him, she didn’t do anything other than sighing a little. The scoff left her lips silently and if it weren’t for him being a demon, he probably wouldn’t even hear her.

“There’s nothing wrong about being scared, you know. At least not when it’s the Congress threatening you. I’ve been there and I’ve done that, it’s really nothing pleasant. But you don’t have to worry, you are shielded with the deal Yoongi made here and there. Miseo just tried to be intimidating the other day, but her husband—”

“Her husband?!” Serah took a few steps back until she was stopped by the kitchen counter. “Which one of them?!” she asked, and the amusement in Taehyung’s eyes immediately gave her an answer.

“She is married to Taemin? Since when?”

“Since like forever. They got married a long time ago, but they don’t like to make their relationship public because it wouldn’t throw a nice light to the Congress. When the Congress was formed all those centuries ago, she was brought as the last member by someone I don’t really remember. There was a spark between them, a really strong one.”

“Do you think he would listen to her in case she wanted to completely destroy us?” she asked warily while never leaving his eyes. What he has just told her surprised her and somehow made her even more scared. Now that she knew that Taemin and Miseo were involved, things turned into another direction.

“No. Their marriage doesn’t mean anything to the Congress and their decisions. Taemin told us himself last night.”

He wanted to assure her but what he didn’t realize was the fact that he probably said more than he first intended. The witch standing in front of him gave him another curious look, and she was ready to ask for more, but someone interrupted them. Quick steps approaching from the grand hallway. Serah let go of her cup of tea and rushed to the other room. To her surprise, Yoongi and Sage tried to sneak inside, but they failed miserably. Sage was holding a small wooden box Serah knew by her heart, and she was very surprised to see it in her sister’s hands. Taehyung was quick to catch up on her, stopping only mere inches away from the witch. Unlike Serah, he watched the box in the witch’s hand rather cautiously.

“Where were you? And why do you hold this box? Why do you have it?” Serah came closer to Sage – only for the other witch to step back and almost collide with Yoongi’s chest. His arms immediately shot to her waist, holding her in one place.

“I told you I would take care of the keys. So, I did,” she took a deep breath, and with a small sign right after, she opened the box, revealing the remaining two keys. The water and earth one.

“How did you do it?”

“That’s a long story you don’t want to hear right now. We have to put the rest of the keys in the box, so Miseo won’t find out we have them all. She won’t sense them in this box,” Sage closed the box again, and to Serah’s surprise, she handed it to Yoongi, who immediately grabbed it and went upstairs with that.

“Where did you get that box?”

“I stole it from Dye’s residence. It’s not like she will need it anytime soon. And if we want to have the keys secured, we would need the box. You can’t argue with me in this one.”

Serah blinked a few times, completely forgetting Taehyung was still standing close behind her. Right now, everything she could pay attention to where Sage and the box that disappeared with Yoongi. When Sage said she would take care of the keys, Serah honestly didn’t think she will take a step this soon. And such a drastic one.

“I have to admit, I didn’t see this coming. Nice one, sister, nice one,” the voice came from upstairs where the remaining two witches were standing. Emetri was the one who spoke up while Sunmi stood there, playing with the key between her fingers. Her posture clearly said she was not ready to give up the key.

“I had to take care of it. No one knows what’s going to happen to us today. But that doesn’t mean I’ll let Miseo get away with something that belongs to us.”

“Aren’t you a bit blinded with the power of the keys? We are missing an earth-bound witch, there’s no way for us to keep the keys,” Sunmi shook her head as she stepped down the stairs. She stopped by her fellow air-bound witch, placing her delicate hand on Sage’s shoulder. “If we are really going to do this, then we should get rid of the keys. We should destroy them, so their power won’t be haunting us. It’s too dangerous for us to have them all. The balance has been broken.”

Sunmi’s speech as a variable Sage didn’t count on.

“I’m not blinded by the power of the keys. Yes, I might have been jealous that you’ve been the chosen one all those years ago, but that time is over now. If we manage to keep the keys safe and hidden from Miseo today, then we can do whatever we want with them. Let’s just—not talk about this topic until the hell is over, shall we?” Sage sighed as she felt the heaviness of Sunmi’s hand on her shoulder. “Can you agree on that, Sunmi?”

“This is not something I expected to do. You must understand that as a bearer of the key, it comes with certain responsibilities and one of them is to never give the key up. As I can see, the others clearly failed when you came back with the rest – and I don’t really want to know how you achieved that. The point is no, I’m not giving it up now. I will wear it on a chain around my neck when Miseo arrives. And then, if we are safe and sound, then we can talk. Deal it with, Sage.”

With those words, Sunmi turned on her heel and left the room with a head full of thoughts. On the one hand, she didn’t really want to give up her key. She grew used to the power it was giving her; over the years she taught herself to keep a balance between going mad from keeping the key and being strong enough to resist its calling. On the other hand, in case everyone agreed, she was more than ready to destroy the four little things. It was no good, it was unnatural, it shouldn’t even exist in the first place.

“Fine. But we are not over.”

***

The day continued to be nerve-wrecking. Everyone was on the edge, snapping at each other while Namjoon was sitting in the corner of the room, exchanging meaningful glances with his older brother, Seokjin. Namjoon thought Seokjin was the only one in this goddamn house who wasn’t pressed about this situation. And he could see why; Seokjin wasn’t that much involved in anything that happened so far. He was the one who would rather sit in the shadows, watching something from the safe distance. Namjoon taught himself not to hold it against his brother since he knew Seokjin had his own issues – and being worried about witches, the fellowship and the stuff, in general, wouldn’t help him in any way.

But at this point, his brother’s behavior was pissing him off. Quite literally.

“Aren’t you nervous?” Namjoon asked him quietly as he didn’t want to disrupt the already disturbing situation. The witches were in the kitchen, Yoongi did something in the office upstairs, Jimin was standing by the window, peeking outside every ten seconds and Jungkook with Hoseok sat opposite of them, talking quietly as well.

“I’ve never said I’m not nervous. I just learnt not to show my feelings as it is a very dangerous thing to do. Of course, I’m concerned. Maybe even a little bit scared, to be honest with you, little brother. But there is nothing I can do about it, so I will just sit here and wait for the trio from hell to arrive.”

“That was a bit poetic, considering the fact that hell is our home. Not theirs,” Namjoon pointed out to which Seokjin only rolled his eyes back to his skull.

“You know what I meant.”

“That I definitely did. Sorry, I’m just a bit concerned because I don’t know what to expect. I had all planned out just perfectly, but then Yoongi came and he fucked up everything,” Namjoon shook his head and reached for the glass of scotch sitting on the table. Ever since the rules of the game he started all those years ago turned, the amount of alcohol consumed in their house reached an alarming rate.

“Don’t talk about Yoongi like that. I know you still like him, in your very own way. In the end, you shared a dream, didn’t you?”

“We all did, brother. We all did share that dream and I really want to believe that we still do.”

“I can assure you that we do, but each one of us in our very own way. It’s going to take a while until we are on the same page again. And I feel like tonight’s the night to decide which direction we are going to go next,” such words coming from Seokjin’s lips honestly surprised Namjoon – but on the other hand, it did not. His oldest brother was always clever, but it was his and his choice only to stay in the shadows and to not touch anything politically related. Even Yoongi asked him to be in charge of the fellowship, but Seokjin politely declined. That was the moment Namjoon stepped in and took care of the stuff Seokjin found pretty complicated.

“I really hope so,” Namjoon nodded right in the moment when Yoongi appeared in the doorframe, holding a rolled map in his hands. Namjoon exactly knew which one it was.

“After tonight, we are retreating to Romania. We will remain there for a while and then we will see what to do next. But for now, it’s the safest opinion for all of us,” he said as his eyes flickered in the witches’ direction.

“What makes you think we will go to Romania with you? London is our home,” Sunmi shook her head, ready to fight the Strigoi who now made his way to the middle of the room where he unrolled the map on the table. It was the one he showed to Sage weeks ago, before everything went down.

“Because after today, there won’t be anything holding you in this city. Not even Jimin since he decided to fully re-join us once again. Sunmi, you have to understand it’s for your greater wellbeing. After we retreat to Romania, you can decide on your own what you want to do – with that key as well. I overheard your conversation with Sage, and I know you don’t want to give it up. I understand. That’s why I decided to let you keep the key unless you go with us.”

“So, you are basically telling me I can keep the key, but I have to go with you, right? That’s exactly the same as if I simply handed you the key.”

“The keys shouldn’t have existed in the first place,” it was Serah who spoke unexpectedly. “With the keys divided between four witches, an imbalance is created – and it results into this. Internal fights and intrigues. Sunmi, hand the key and we will destroy them all. I already have an idea of how to do it.”

“Well, that was unexpected,” Taehyung murmured rather amusingly as he sipped on his drink. He was ready to tease them some more, but the moment he parted his lips to let out another word, wolf’s howl pierced the air.

“And this was even more unexpected,” it was Jimin recovered first and immediately left the room to welcome the guests. It only took him a few seconds to get back with the three newcomers in his feet. Jimin realized that the map was gone from the table and Yoongi was now standing by the window where Jimin previously stood. He looked like he was brooding, but Jimin knew better than that. Yoongi was probably plotting a plan of how to escape London without greater damage on both sides.

“What a pleasure to see you once again. I hope you all slept well last night,” Miseo smiled, but there was nothing genuine in her face. The smile didn’t even reach her eyes as she was scanning the room, her eyes eventually landing on her husband who cleared his throat and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Let me,” he said quietly as he took a step forward, now standing in the middle of the room. Namjoon was quick to stand up and guide the leader of the Congress to sit in one of the unoccupied armchairs.

“Thanks,” Taemin nodded when he sat down, his eyes carefully taking in every detail of the room. “As I’ve said last night, it was very pleasurable to see you once again since I consider you my close friends. But what happened in this city, how you handled the situation, brought concerns to me and my companions. I believe I don’t have to repeat it all over again as all of us know what is going on in here.”

“What does he want to say is that we came with a solution,” Miseo interrupted his speech. She came closer to Taemin, standing behind him while she rested her palms on his shoulders. It was an oddly intimate gesture none of them expected, yet they witnessed it.

“I believe it’s safe to say that—”

Heels clicking against the marble floor in the hallway interrupted Jackson’s speech, and when everyone turned to the doorframe, surprised to see another visitor, they all gasped at what they saw. Or, better said, who they saw. A woman with silky long black hair stood there, covered in a midnight blue coat. Her posture radiated power and control, but even that couldn’t cover the odor of death lingering around her.

“That couldn’t be true. Someone is tricking my senses, I don’t believe—” for some reason, Sunmi turned to Jimin for answers, but the vampire only shrugged, not saying a single word. He was as surprised as everyone else in the room.

“No, no one is tricking you, Sun. That really is my mother in all her glory,” Emetri hissed through her gritted teeth when her eyes met with her mother’s. She was the last person Emetri expected to show up. With their last deal, she thought they are finally done with each other and Diana would leave in peace. But the greedy goddess she was, she had to show up for the one last time – even though it would mean her definite downfall.

“Miseo, I told you I won’t leave you alone. Now, proceed with what you wanted to say. I believe that your two lovely companions will let you carry out the verdict,” the Old Crone smiled, but her eyes never left her daughter’s. She only came to see if Miseo kept her word and she didn’t expect that seeing her daughter one last time would be this painful.

“Of course you were coming,” Miseo murmured silently, putting some pressure on the hold on Taemin until he hissed silently, giving her a hushed order to let go of him.

“Avoiding the topic does no good for any of us. Either you talk, or I will have to ask you to leave the premises. This is still private property, Mrs. Lee. Talk, now,” a deep growl crawled out of Seokjin’s throat, surprising even the Old Crone who now took a place behind the sofa the witches sat on. It made them visibly nervous, but none of them even beeped.

Instead of Miseo, Taemin started talking again. He was more tense than before, feeling the anger boiling inside of him when he thought about his wife and the Old Crone probably talking together before. But now, it wasn’t quite the right time to be concerned about something like this.

“We carefully considered everything that happened, and we didn’t want this to end up as a disaster. It wasn’t the easiest decision, to be honest. As I’ve said countless times before, you are my close friends and I cherish the bond between us. I also cherish London’s coven, even though it ended up like this. Considering the deal, or rather said deals that have been made between many members of the coven, the fellowship and the Congress, we decided to spare the lives of the four witches under one condition – you will never return to London, nor you will try to interfere with what we planned for the rest of the coven.”

The deadly silence fell over the room, only the ragged breaths of the present supernatural beings were hearable. Yoongi immediately looked at Sage who looked paler than ever. The other witches only sat there, reminding more of statues than living and breathing beings. Diana, who was still standing behind them, only smiled while she nodded at Miseo. The said queen of witches turned away to avoid the deadly stare of the demon brothers. The rest of the fellowship, Jungkook, Hoseok and Jimin shot up to their feet, ready to throw hands in case of shit going down. Again.

“What will happen with the others? What are you going to do to our sisters?” it was Serah who was brave enough to ask the question she didn’t even want to know the answer to. But she had to ask, just for the sake of the four of them.

“We decided to strip them of their powers as it is the easiest way to get rid of them. With that, the blood bond between you will be broken in case Dye wakes up from her witching sleep one day. And talking about the queen of the coven, she will be taken to Florence with us. She will be under surveillance, so there’s no need to worry. Your sisters are right now in the safe haven of yours, heavily guarded by our staff, so if you decide to do something against our decision, you will be punished as well. This is the final word of Congress. Oh, and Yoongi,” Taemin stood up from the chair, approaching the Strigoi standing by the window.

Yoongi immediately straightened his posture, but the wariness never left his eyes. He knew that Taemin wasn’t about to hurt him. In the end, he was still covered by the deal that first seemed to be bulletproof yet ended up full of blind spots.

“I’m sorry, but I cannot offer you the place in the Congress. I’m also sorry that Diana had you fooled like this, but she is no longer a noble member. She might have helped to form us, but it was centuries ago. Congress is nothing that it used to be when we originated. There is no place for a Strigoi,” Taemin shook his head.

“Kid, stop talking about me as if I’m not even here. I might be dying but—”

“There are no buts, Diana. You tried to toy with us to your liking, and that is something the Congress cannot let you get away with,” it was Jackson who spoke up now when Taemin came back to his wife, wrapping his arm around her waist. For some reason, after the verdict has been spoken out loud, Miseo seemed to be falling apart. Stripping a witch of her powers was the highest punishment possible. Besides burning them at the stake, but that was something civilized people in the 18th century didn’t do anymore.

She felt like she sentenced them to death.

Which she basically did.

Once a black witch was stripped of her powers, she started to grow older and older day by day, way faster than the white witches did. Way faster than the mere mundane did. It was an ultimate punishment that couldn’t and wouldn’t be taken back.

“You are not going to talk to me like this! I was walking this earth way before any of you were born. I helped you form this! Without me, a civilized supernatural world wouldn’t exist!” the tension in the room rose as Diana’s eyes flickered from her natural color to a wicked purple one. She was slowly losing control over herself and that was something none of the present in the room should let happen. “You will treat me with respect!”

The sound of the storm rattled through the house. Yoongi looked out of the window only to see the grey clouds covering the sky. Diana clearly toyed not only with the atmosphere inside but with the weather outside as well. She grew more and more dangerous each second that passed. He quickly exchanged a look with Taemin who nodded at Jackson – whose eyes only flickered in Hoseok’s direction. And then, in a simple snap of fingers, instead of Hoseok, a massive wolf stood by Diana’s right side, following by Jackson standing by her left side. They growled dangerously, but the goddess seemed not to care. She took a step forward, approaching the sofa with the four witches still sitting there, now trembling with fear of the upcoming.

“You better stop, Diana. We came here to deal with the problem you caused. Now, step away, otherwise I will have to—” Taemin didn’t have enough time to finish his sentence when Diana launched forward – only to be stopped by the wolf and the vampire, their fangs buried deep in her already rotting flesh. She might have looked like she was young again, but it was only a sham. Deep down, she was still rotting and dying, slowly losing the power to live.

Animal-like sound crawled out of her chest when the fangs of the wolf and the vampire dug deeper into her flesh. Sounds of ripping flesh and fabric subsequently filled the room as the deity was dying right in front of their eyes. Emetri couldn’t listen to it anymore, she cuddled herself in Sunmi’s arms. The air-bound witch was holding her tightly along with the remaining two of them. They tried to protect her from the pain and fear, even though they knew those feelings already sank deep in Emetri’s soul.

“People don’t worship gods and goddesses anymore, Diana. You are a long-forgotten deity who deserves to rot in hell,” Miseo spoke up suddenly while she held Taemin’s hand tightly. She never really averted her eyes from the scene that was happening right in front of her. She saw way more disgusting things in her life than someone being ripped apart by a pair of supernatural beings. 

It didn’t take long until the moaning sound of the dying goddess stopped completely and what remained of her landed on the floor with a gentle thud sound. It was the moment Emetri suddenly stood up from the sofa, wiggling away from the arms of her sisters. She stood there; her eyes pinned on what remained of her mother. The truth was, she didn’t expect something like this to happen. She didn’t expect to be spared, to be honest.

And she didn’t expect her mother to end up dead.

But life was full of unexpected events and she should be used to it by now.

In the end, she was a witch.

A witch that should be dead, according to the Prophecy.

What has just happened in front of her made her doubt whether the Prophecy was even true, but it didn’t matter anymore.

“I’m sorry, but I have to do this,” she said, knowing that no one in the room knew what she meant, but again, she didn’t care. Because it didn’t matter anymore. It was over. Everything was over and somehow, she felt light. She felt like the biggest stone fell down her heart and rolled somewhere to the corner of the room where it would remain forgotten.

She gently approached the body lying on the floor. Jackson and Hoseok obediently took a few steps back, eventually ending in the doorframe as if they were guarding the entrance to the room.

“It wasn’t always easy with you, mother,” she spoke up silently. It was hard for her to look at the corpse, but she was stronger than that. “Sometimes, you were a pain in the ass. But you were still my mother. I’m sorry it had to end up like this,” she continued – and suddenly, she started speaking in a language no one in the room understood. They might have been old and mighty, but the words that fell down Emetri’s lips seemed incoherent to all of them.

“What is that?” Taehyung asked silently.

“A prayer,” Namjoon answered. He didn’t understand, but it wasn’t the first time he heard those words. It was a prayer to the dead. A parting words that were supposed to accompany the dead one on their last journey.

When Emetri was done, she stood up from the floor she was kneeling on. The following words she babbled silently caused the body on the floor to flare up. Namjoon’s eyes widened in fear that the rest of the furniture in the room could catch the fire, but Emetri seemed to have it all under her control. In the end, she was a fire-bound witch. The fire was her friend, a part of her that would always define her.

What seemed like hours only took a few minutes. The body was gone, not even a bone remained of the deity that Diana once was. And when Emetri made sure that the fire died, she came back to her sisters in desperate need of support – both, emotional and a physical one. What she has just done was an unexpected and strong demonstration of her power.

“I guess I should thank you for taking care of this… issue,” Taemin murmured to which the witches only pierced him with their eyes. Diana might have been evil, but she didn’t deserve to be addressed as an ‘issue’.

“What I want to say is that you proved to be faithful to the Congress, to beliefs that have been once planted into you when you became witches. I don’t think there’s anything else we should talk about other than reminding you of not mingling with our business. Forget you’ve ever been a part of the coven. Forget about your queen. Forget about London as it’s not your home anymore. You have one week to leave the city, otherwise I will have to draw the consequences. We are leaving,” Taemin nodded to the vampire still standing in the doorframe. Holding his wife’s hand, he politely bowed to the demons and the rest of the people in the room.

And with that, they left.

Jimin immediately approached Sunmi, wrapping his arms around her to let her shatter. She hid her face in the crook of his neck and even though she didn’t let out a single sound, he knew she was falling apart internally. Her salty tears burned his skin as she let out a single silent sob – before putting a mask of a strong woman back on. She pushed away from him, looking at Emetri. The fire-bound witch just stood there, with an emotionless look written all over her face.

“Em, are you okay?”

“No, but I will be. One day,” she shrugged, turning her eyes away from the ashes lying on the floor. They will have to clean it eventually, but not now. She was still going through the process of shock that she was the one to bury her mother. Even though it was inside and not outside like their culture taught them.

“So, I guess we are going to Romania.”

***

“I can still see it. Oh my god, I can still hear her voice when they were ripping her apart. I didn’t know wolves could do that,” Sage sighed heavily as she was sitting in the armchair in the study on the second floor. Yoongi was pacing around the room after he finished writing countless letters to his followers in Romania. He wanted to have the family castle ready for their arrival.

After the disastrous happenings that took place only hours before, he decided to put everything in motion. He let the witches take care of Emetri when they took her to one of the unoccupied rooms on the second floor. After the fire-bound witch finally fell asleep while Namjoon for some reason volunteered to guard her, Sage sneaked into the study while Yoongi was working on the letters.

“Was it the first time?”

“First time what?”

“First time seeing something like this.”

Sage sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Of course that it wasn’t the first time she saw something like that. She was a black witch, used to happenings like this one. But it was the first time seeing her closest one to break down. Emetri might have appeared to be strong, but deep down, through the already shattered bond between the witches, she felt the pain her fire-bound sister was going through.

“No. But never before I saw someone in such pain. I felt terrible for not being able to help her. There was no way—”

“Sage, life is going to be like this. It will never be easy,” he said and turned to her. He slowly approached her, and when he extended his arm, she understood. She got up from her chair, holding his hand, but still keeping the safe distance between the two of them.

“I’m still not a hundred percent sure. I don’t know if I want to be a part of this. After what happened today—I know I said something before, but—”

“Hush,” he murmured, placing his index finger on her lips. “You don’t have to decide now. We are going to Romania, and when we arrive and you meet the rest of the fellowship, you are free to decide whether you want to join or not. But don’t forget, you will still need protection.”

She took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes with a few last questions.

“So, that’s it? This is really it?”

“Yes, that’s it. This is the end. But also a new beginning.”


	14. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Joon?”
> 
> “Yeah?”
> 
> “I’m going to miss this place. It wasn’t that bad. Staying here.”
> 
> Namjoon only let out a silent laugh.
> 
> “I told you so.”

Leaving London was the hardest decision ever. Not only for witches but for the demon family as well. Seokjin remembered when they left Norway to find a new home here, in London. He didn’t like it – the north provided them with safety and comfort, and when he lost it, he was supposed to get used to London. And now, when he barely acknowledged it to be his new home, he was made to leave once again.

Yet, this time it was completely different. He didn’t feel sad nor disappointed, quite the right opposite. Knowing that they won’t be on their own anymore brought a weird warmth to his chest he didn’t feel for such a long time. His family, even though it was not the blood related one, was backing him up once again.

“What are you thinking about?” faint voice coming from behind him reached his sensitive ears. He turned back only to see Hoseok standing in the doorframe. The wolf retreated to his room ever since Diana in his and Jackson’s hands, and he didn’t talk much to anyone. Not even to Jungkook or Yoongi, who used to be his closest companions. That’s why Seokjin let out a surprised gasp when he saw in standing there, covered in a dark coat that reached his ankles with his red hair shining like a beacon. And Seokjin was glad to see him out there, interacting with the others at least a bit. And in his very own way.

“Leaving. So far, my whole life was about running away – to somewhere or from someone, something. I hated London when we first came here,” he said suddenly, nodding towards the two armchairs sitting next to the window. Hoseok understood his wordless request and took a seat on one of them. He leaned his elbows against his knees and watched as Seokjin took a place opposite of him, his eyes pinned on the street outside. It’s been two days since Diana has been murdered and the rest of the coven was stripped of their powers. Ever since then the sun didn’t rise. London fell under the heavy stormy clouds, terrorized by strong raining and loud storms. Last night Hoseok overheard the witches talking about the weather and how weird it was for the rain to not stop.

“You never liked the change; I can clearly remember when Yoongi proposed to go to Europe for the first time. You were the first one to protest. If I remember correctly, you even came to Namjoon asking him to make Yoongi change his mind. Honestly, I found it so funny,” Hoseok chuckled silently, the sound so alien to Seokjin’s ears, yet his heart made a backflip in his chest. The ice barrier he built around himself was slowly melting. Slowly but surely.

“I guess so. It was never easy, you know. And considering Taehyung going berserk after we left the fellowship, that definitely wasn’t easy. The constant travelling was no good for him, that’s why I wanted to stay in Norway as long as possible. But Namjoon got the crazy idea of his to join the Congress as a silent companion. I know that deep down in his soul he wanted to be a member, a real one, but we all knew better. They wouldn’t let a demon join their _scared_ society. So, they only used him, and we had to move from Norway here, to London. It was harder and harder with Taehyung. He went through his last episode around the time you arrived. Since then, I started taking him to hell to vent a little. I know it wasn’t the same as here, on Earth, but it helped a little. As you can see, he is almost back to his true self. Almost,” Seokjin sighed and his shoulders dropped a little. While he was talking, Hoseok was sitting there, listening to his old friend quietly.

“So, more or less, it’s about Taehyung and his bloodlust. It’s going to be better now, Jin. He has his family back. He has someone he can lean on when you are tired. He is not your responsibility and he never was.”

“Of course he is my responsibility. He is my youngest brother and I’ll always be here for him. In case he needs me. Which seems like he doesn’t right now. I’ve seen the way he was staring at the witch. For a while, I was scared he is going to kill her, but there is something different in his eyes. It almost seems like he is enchanted, interested or what the hell is happening to him. I’ve never seen it before,” Seokjin sighed again. Oh lord, if only he had a bottle of wine or scotch somewhere around so he could take a big swig. Unfortunately, their stock of alcohol was the first thing to be packed and shipped oversea.

“You are taking it too seriously, Jin. Try to relax a little. We are free to go since the Congress is not threatening us anymore. Even the witches are free to go,” Hoseok mumbled. Once again, he thought about the four witches now locked in the room on the third floor of the mansion. After the Congress punished the rest of the coven, they stopped talking to the members of the fellowship. Yoongi and Jimin were berserk about it, wanting nothing else but to talk to them. Unfortunately, the witches were silent.

“They are making me worried.”

“What?”

“The witches. They are making me worried. We’ve never experienced a witch in our fellowship. And now we have four of them. Four pretty much unstable witches who have just lost their entire coven due to the various deals and intrigues. And now they are asked to join another society, right after they lost what was the most precious to them. You cannot blame me,” Seokjin shrugged, leaning back against the armchair. As much as he tried, he was still tensed about the whole situation. Tensed and pretty much confused.

Which only made Hoseok chuckle again. Even he was surprised by the way his body responded to Seokjin’s behavior.

“Seokjin you are a mess. Let it flow freely because no one can say for sure what is going to happen. No one knows how they are going to react once we arrive in Romania. Also let Taehyung be. You said it yourself, he seems to be stable right now. Everything is going to turn out well, there’s no need to worry. Chill a little and it’s going to be just fine.”

For some reason, Hoseok’s words dug deep under Seokjin’s skin. He needed to be reassured that as the oldest brother; he didn’t have to take care of them anymore. He didn’t have to oversee everything that was going on in their lives. It was the right time to start focusing on his own life.

“Hoseok is right, Seokjin. You don’t need to worry anymore. And if there’s a problem with the witches, we will deal with that with Yoongi. You just focus on yourself.”

Namjoon peeked into the room when he heard them talking inside. For a while, he contemplated whether to stop by or not because Hoseok was still running away from him. He wanted to talk to him, badly, but the wolf seemed like for him, there was nothing to talk about. That’s why Namjoon eventually gave up on trying. The past should be left untouched.

“I’m starting to be convinced that you two conspired against me. It wouldn’t be the first time and I think it’s definitely not the last time, am I right?” Seokjin stretched his stiff body, not realizing that he hit the most sensitive spot in both of them. Hoseok immediately stopped smiling and Namjoon only cleared his throat. Not that he wasn’t over Hoseok – he would never be, to be honest. But it didn’t mean he was ready to talk about it, nor to face the issue once again.

“It’s all in your head, Seokjin,” Hoseok tried to chuckle again, and Seokjin saw that this time it wasn’t as honest as before. “What I wanted to say – and I believe what Namjoon wanted to say as well – is the fact that we are all going to make it. Whether the witches will be a problem or not. Only time will show us so,” with that, Hoseok stood up from the armchair and without any other necessary words, he left the room.

Namjoon gently got out of his way and when the wolf passed him, something like regret and longing mirrored in his eyes. He was long gone when Seokjin spoke up again.

“Is it my turn to give you a pep talk?” the oldest raised his brow in a questionable manner.

“Do I look like I need a pep talk? I only came to check on you because I heard voices,” Namjoon tried to play it cool, but Seokjin knew better. That’s why Namjoon only scoffed. “Okay, I heard you talking to Hoseok and I was curious about what was going on. But then I realized you probably needed to talk to someone with whom you didn’t spend the last ninety years. And Hoseok was always a good listener.”

“That he was. No worries, brother. I will enjoy the ride in the backseat. Not being in charge might be only good for me,” Seokjin said when he returned to the activity he did before Hoseok ambushed him with his pep talk – folding his precious clothes and putting them in the trunk lying on his bed. They planned to leave in small groups, so they wouldn’t be suspicious, and Seokjin with Jimin and Sunmi were the first ones to go. The witch tried to fight them all, but once she heard Park Jimin is going as well, she quickly shut up and said nothing.

“There’s still one last thing for you to do,” Namjoon reminded him.

“It’s more of a formality. You can count on me to prepare everything in Romania. They know we are coming, right? So, it’s really nothing,” Seokjin said as he put the last piece of clothing in his trunk, closing it with a silent thud. “You can tell Yoongi I’m ready to leave the first thing tomorrow morning.”

“Good. He will be thrilled to hear so,” Namjoon patted his older brother, giving him one reassuring smile before he turned on his heel to leave Seokjin alone.

“Joon?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m going to miss this place. It wasn’t that bad. Staying here.”

Namjoon only let out a silent laugh.

“I told you so.”

***

Sage didn’t think she would visit the graveyard again, but there she is, sitting on the cold grass. It’s been four days since the tragedy took place at Kim’s residence when the rain finally stopped, and the sun peeked from under the dark clouds covering the sky. The grass was still wet and cold, almost as if the earth still didn’t accept the fact that the hell was finally over.

She found herself there only a few minutes ago. The tension in the residence was unbearable, so she came up with a simple lie – she told Yoongi she needed a few things from her old house to take with her to Romania. It was far from true since she decided to take almost nothing with her. She chose to start over again, in a different country with different people around her. It was one of the hardest decisions she had to make that it almost drove her to evoke the spirit of her grandmother to ask her whether she decided to do the right thing or not. Seconds before she almost did it, she internally stopped herself, cursing and screaming because of how stupid she was. Asking her dead grandmother wouldn’t be wise – certainly not at this moment when she finally decided to do something about her new life.

It would only drag her deeper into the mess that was impossible to fix.

“San, are you here?” she asked silently. She leaned against the cold tombstone of someone who was probably dead longer than she walked this soil. Not that she minded. She wanted to see the man one last time before she would bid her last farewell to this city. To this country. To her life.

Except there was no answer.

The wind sang quietly, almost as if the element tried to calm her down a little. She closed her eyes and let the early spring breeze to caress her cheeks slightly. It felt good, not to sit on edge anymore, not to be scared of her and her sisters’ life anymore. It felt good to know that the war was finally over, even though it cost them something so precious. When the bond fell silent completely, she first thought she would cry her eyes out. But she didn’t. Instead, she felt the hole eating her up from inside, consuming every last piece of emotion she was capable to feel. The hole grew bigger and bigger each minute that passed. And it also made her distant to everyone in the residence.

“San, please. Tell me you are here. Tell me you didn’t leave me just yet.”

The wind around her whispered again, its song falling silent suddenly.

“Why are you asking me such a thing when you are the one who is going to leave?”

Her head immediately snapped into the direction from where the faint voice came. There he stood, covered in a long coat while he was leaning against the massive tree. She wanted to believe that the man standing there was the same who used to put her to sleep, who used to sit by her side until she soundly fell asleep, but what she saw clearly told her he was not the same, nor he would ever be. He looked weak, the color faded from his face and his eyes seemed to see something she was missing. Something that was out of this world.

She immediately shot up to her feet to approach him, but to her surprise, he took a step back. He slowly raised his hands in a defensive move, wordlessly telling her not to come any closer.

“Stay where you are, Sage. This is no good for any of us. Why did you come?”

“I—I don’t know, to be honest. I needed to get away, I needed to breathe on my own, without the members of the fellowship breathing on my neck. I needed to be myself for the one last time.”

“You’ve always been yourself, stop lying. Even as a member of the coven, you were always yourself, in your very unique way. Let me ask you one more time, why are you here?”

“I wanted to say goodbye. I’m leaving for Romania soon. You probably know what happened four days ago, so I won’t repeat myself,” she played with the hem of her own coat while trying her hardest not to look into his eyes again. Unfortunately, she lost the internal battle with herself as she looked at him again. She was the one who caused this. She was the one who caused he was going to disappear. “Is it already happening?”

For a while, he didn’t answer. He didn’t even want to because he was battling his own internal emotions. A tiny voice inside of him was telling him not to share anything with her since she was a sly witch who brought a curse upon her. On the other hand, it was his decision as well. He decided to fall in love with her when he knew what was going to happen. At least those were a nice few years he spent by her side.

“I know you are leaving. I might be slowly slipping away from the world, but I still know my ways to know things. And I know that is the best decision you could have done considering what happened. You don’t need to be sorry, nor you need to bid your farewell to me. I will always find a way to be with you,” he said quietly, not sure about the words that just left his lips, but once it was done, it couldn’t be undone so easily.

“I’m so sorry for what happened. I didn’t mean to hurt you like this.”

“You cannot command your heart. I didn’t want us to part like this, but that doesn’t mean I hate you. Quite the right opposite. And if letting you go means disappearing, then be it. I was no good for this world when I was alive, and when I became a grim reaper, I was no good either. We aren’t allowed to fall in love, so it’s not completely your fault, Sage,” he sighed heavily, the emotions in his chest almost crushed him, but he still managed to stand there tall and proud.

“Do you think we will meet? Again?” such a stupid question, naïve even. She knew that what she asked him didn’t make a sense, so she wasn’t surprised when he chuckled silently. San shook his head in pure amusement.

“Maybe. One can never know what is going to happen tomorrow. In a week. Or in a year. Maybe you will completely forget about me when you arrive in Romania. And maybe you will forget tomorrow.”

“You think so lowly about me, I’m going to be offended, San,” a small smile appeared on her lips as she dared to approach him closer. This time, he didn’t flinch away. And he didn’t flinch away when she wrapped her arms around his torso to hug him one last time. However, he didn’t feel like San anymore. For her, it felt like hugging an old man who would easily crumble in case she hugged him tighter. And there it came again, the nudging feeling of guilt that was driving her crazy.

“I wouldn’t dare. Never,” San wrapped his arms around her tiny body in a desperate attempt to hold her close one last time. Before he would completely fall apart.

“It’s time for you to go, Sage. They are waiting.”

“Let me stay for a little longer,” she murmured, but her words were swallowed by the tiny sobs she tried so hard to hold yet failed to do so. She felt the tears running down her burning cheeks while she was wrapped in his arms. His embrace used to be strong and full of will to live, but right now it felt like the skeleton was hugging her with its last drops of strength.

“I would love to, and you know that. But I can’t. I have to _go_. There’s no time nor a place for me anymore. I will be watching you, little witch, I promise. Now go and live your life. Forget the hell you went through while you lived here, in London. Bright times are coming into your life and you have to welcome them with your arms wide open. Please, promise me, you will.”

She looked at him, confused. For a split of seconds she thought he was going crazy, but there was nothing but raw truth mirroring in his eyes. That’s why she eventually let go of him, taking two uncertain steps back.

“I was happy. For a while, I was happy. With you.”

A gentle smile caressed San’s features, yet it remained nothing of the smiles he used to give her before.

“And you will be happy again, there’s no doubt about that, little witch. Now go and live your life. Everything will be just fine,” with those words, he turned his back to her. It was way easier for him to leave like this, without any other unnecessary words and empty promises. Suddenly, he felt light like a feather, floating in the gentle and warm spring breeze.

He never imagined the end of his existence would be this peaceful.

And she never imagined walking away from someone she loved so much would be this easy.

***

A week passed and most of the residents of the manor left the British islands. Emetri and Serah were the last ones to leave the city along with Namjoon and Jungkook. The youngest one insisted to be the last one to leave – and no one knew why. But when Jungkook wanted something, he definitely was about to get it. No matter what.

“I still can’t believe we are leaving London. So many things happened while we were living here; I’ve never thought about leaving _again_ ,” Serah shook her head while she was gripping on the wooden box that sat in her lap. From time to time, she caught Jungkook staring at that box, baring his fangs even. Not that she could hold it against him; she knew that the power radiating from the box was strong and irresistible. She felt the same way when Dye showed them the keys once they formed the coven. She remembered how the keys vibrated, locked in that small place, waiting for their new bearer. For a while, she was scared the water key would choose her, but fortunately, nothing like that happened.

“To be honest, I wouldn’t want to stay here. Not after my mother—” Emetri almost choked on the words that got stuck in her throat. It made Namjoon to finally look into her direction because up until now, he was only staring out of a little window of the carriage that was taking them to the docks where the ship was already waiting. The journey was supposed to take a few days, maybe weeks considering the weather on the Old Continent. None of them was excited about the trip, but there was no other way to get to Romania.

“Stop. We promised we won’t talk about this anymore. It brings no good in our small coven that managed to survive,” Serah put a hand on her sister’s shoulder, trying to calm her down at least a little. Emetri only nodded to the gentle gesture of her closest one, even smiling a little. And then, in a snap of fingers, the fire-bound witch changed the topic of their dialogue.

“I still wonder why Miseo didn’t take the keys away from us. It’s a powerful weapon capable of nothing good. I understand that she didn’t sense them because of the box, but still.”

“Maybe she thought it’s pointless because there’s no earth-bound witch left between the four of you. You lack one of the essential elements, therefore you cannot use the earth key,” out of nowhere, Namjoon jumped into their conversation completely uninvited. But both of them had to admit he had a point. Maybe Miseo really didn’t think about the possibility of using the keys again, that’s why she left the topic untouched.

But still.

Still.

The keys were powerful, no matter what witch was using them.

“I don’t feel comfortable taking it with us to Romania. We should have buried them somewhere. Or scatter them to dust. Or—” for a slip second, Serah’s eyes flickered in Namjoon’s direction, “couldn’t you just take them to hell and hand them to your mother? I bet she would be thrilled to have such a tool that would be completely useless in hell.”

Only a few days ago Serah learned the truth about the demons. Over the last glass of scotch she had with Taehyung before he left with his group, she learned that their own mother banned them from hell and only let them return for a short amount of time once a month. She almost felt sorry for the emerald-eyes demon sitting opposite of her until he showed her the power he possessed. The glass landed on the wooden floor and shattered to million pieces. Taehyung immediately halted with the demonstration of his powers.

“No way I hell I would bring my mother into this mess. We have just barely fixed something, but with her in the picture, things would get much messier.”

“Yeah, your mother is a pain in the ass,” Jungkook spoke for the very first time since they loaded the carriage.

“Can we stop talking about the deities, please? The keys remained in our custody, so we shouldn’t argue about it anymore. I’m telling you, in case you continue in this discussion, I’m dropping the box into the Thames once we are on the ship. And that’s something Yoongi definitely won’t like. So, it’s your call,” Emetri cut the discussion only to have Jungkook now laughing out loud.

“I like this one. If I wasn’t sure about having a witch in our fellowship, now I definitely am.”

With that, the conversation in the carriage died. The four of them remained silent for the rest of the ride to the docks. It didn’t take a long time, though, as everything was prepared in advance. Yoongi did his best to keep their leave from London as private as possible. The Congress gave them a week to leave and he was in no position to afford having a fight with them.

“How long are we going to be on this ship? I’m already sea-sick,” Serah murmured when she watched the men working in docks to load the ship with their belongings.

“A few days. Maybe weeks, depends on the weather. But once we are in Romania, everything will be just fine,” surprisingly, it was Jungkook who appeared by her side and answered the question she didn’t really aim for anyone. It startled her a little when she turned to her side and saw the Strigoi standing by her side.

“And what then? What is going to happen to us once we reach Romania?”

“You keep asking as if you were about to be murdered once we reach our own safe haven. No need to worry because nothing like that is going to happen. I think Yoongi and Namjoon made themselves clear when they said they are going to take care of you. And the keys,” Jungkook nodded to the small wooden box that Serah was still clutching on. To be honest, he was still surprised something so small was so important for them, but on the other hand, he wasn’t a witch nor wizard to judge. For him as a vampire, other things were important.

“Can you blame me? I escaped one hell only to enter another one. Only to find out that again, things were not getting any better for any of us. Not that I’m going to rant to you. You wouldn’t understand,” she mumbled silently.

Jungkook let out a silent scoff while the sly smirk appeared on his lips.

“You would be surprised, witch. You would be surprised.”

* * *

**Slovenia, 1849, Predjama castle**

Almost fifty years after the happenings in London and she still couldn’t quite forget. As much as she tried to shake the memories away, it came back to her like a boomerang, causing the cold shivers running down her spine. And it wasn’t any different even now when they finally arrived at Predjama castle located southwest of Ljubljana. At first, Sage didn’t agree on moving across Europe with the raging revolution, but Yoongi persuaded her that everything was going to be okay.

And who was she not to believe her now vampire husband? He was a reasonable co-leader of the Fellowship of Ephesus, always responsible for every step he made. Even the wrong ones. So, in the end she agreed on moving from Romania to Slovenia. But if it weren’t for the reason, she would gladly stay where they were up until now.

The only reason to take such a daring step were the keys. Ever since they moved from London, everything seemed just fine. Until the moment the keys started to vibrate with a wicked power that made the witches unable to use their powers properly. The powers they needed too much if they wanted to remain a part of the fellowship.

“I told you to contact the Congress. Look at it, just look at it, Yoongi!” Sage’s voice jumped a little bit higher while her eyes remained pinned on the wooden box now placed on the small table in the corner of the room. The box was shaking without anyone touching it from one side of the table to the other one.

“Just because the keys got possessed by some kind of demon doesn’t mean that—”

“If you joke about this one more time, I swear to everything saint to me, I’m going to strangle you, Min Yoongi. This is not a joke. Something is happening with the keys.”

“Maybe they want to be used. No one touched them since the night you locked them in the box. You said it yourself, all those years ago, they were an essential part of you. And now, when you are not using them at all, they are just reminding you of its existence,” Yoongi’s voice softened when his eyes laid on the witch standing in front of him. For the past few decades, she loyally stood by his side. She made him a happier man.

“Is that a reason why you convinced me to come here? To this castle that belongs to… who even? Is that another one of your secret hideouts?” she tilted her head to the side, giving him one questionable look. Instead of answering her right-away, he quickly approached her, wrapping his arms around her waist like a pair of snakes.

“Do you see any reasons behind my doings, _witchling_? Anything besides keeping you and your sisters safe from another disaster? The only reason why I asked you to come here with me is leaving the keys behind. This is probably the safest place in the whole world you can leave the keys at. I realized that using the keys wouldn’t be a wise idea since they started acting up. Well, I still believe in the reason I told you before, but if you wish not to use them, if you all wish not to use them, then this is the right step. Leave them behind. Bury them in this soil and you will never be bothered again.”

His words crawled into her core and settled there like the annoying heaviness she felt every time she was supposed to go for a meeting with the other members of the fellowship. On the other hand, she knew he was right. Leaving behind the last remnant of her past was the most logical thing she could do to make not only herself feel better, but her sisters as well.

“You might be my husband, but you are still the sly Strigoi I met at the market in London. Who knows, maybe you wanted to try the power of the keys here, where no one is keeping an eye on you.”

“No one but my witch wife? I wouldn’t be that stupid, sweetheart,” he chuckled silently, his hot breath hitting the back of her neck as he kept holding her tightly. But in a snap of fingers, his posture changed, and she felt him growing more tense behind her. “You are wrong, my dear. I honestly brought you here to bury the keys and let the past die. I see how negatively affected you are by the behavior of that… thing. And I don’t find it fair. The Congress didn’t give you another chance to a new life just to be burdened by something that shouldn’t be in your hands anymore.”

Sage turned to him, slowly wiggling away from his touchy hands. She looked him in his face only to find out nothing but sincerity looking back at her. For some reason, his words from more than fifty years ago popped in her mind, replaying all over again the plan he had with the keys. But as time went by and they were forced to leave London, something in him switched and his plans changed drastically. It was still hard to believe that the man standing in front of her was the same who had the wicked plans all those years ago.

“Why don’t you want to use them anymore? You know very well that a person who owns all of the keys possess great power. Aren’t you seduced by that power anymore?” she asked, and he didn’t miss the genuine undertone tangled within her voice. She really was curious about his doings and she wasn’t about to let go until he was going to give her the answer.

“Because those years spent by your side showed me that I don’t need some magical keys to build a strong empire. I just need the right people by my side, that’s all,” he said, his voice deep and raspy. He looked into her eyes, looking for the traces of her not believing him, but there were none. She genuinely believed every word he just told her, even though she was a bit hesitant at first.

The keys were the part of every witch’s life once she entered the circle of the oven. Right now, they were about to get rid of them – literally bury them so no one will ever find them again.

“That was something I didn’t expect from you, but to be honest,” she bit on her lower lip and remained silent. Countless thoughts were running through her mind as she was replaying his words over and over again. After they fled London and finally found someone like a second home in Romania, the witches promised they wouldn’t talk about the keys anymore. Not until those things started to act weird.

“If you are scared someone will find them here, then don’t be. This is private property and it’s always guarded by someone from my most trusted men. The keys will be safe here.”

“I’m not scared about its safety. You would be surprised, but over the past few years, I learnt to trust you, husband. I’m just not sure if this is the best idea. You saw it yourself; the keys are weird. As if something bad was going to happen soon.”

“That’s why leaving them behind is the best idea. We won’t be concerned anymore.”

As much as she wanted to fight him, she knew he was right. Once the keys would be left behind, she wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore. On the other hand, she found this idea to be irresponsible. What if someone would discover it? What if something happened and they would need it? Travelling across Europe in times like these was highly dangerous.

“Are you sure it’s going to be safe here?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Fine. Then let’s bury them as deep as possible.”

* * *

**Florence 2001**

A silent thud-like noise resonated through the dungeons’ floor in the basement of the Congress’ main establishment. The building was located in the middle of Florence, right where every mundane eye could see it. Centuries ago, Taemin decided it was for the best not to hide from the mortals, not to be suspicious. And surprisingly, it worked. People and tourists didn’t suspect anything, quite the right opposite. The building was proclaimed to be cultural heritage, and of course, the entrance was forbidden. 

Taemin was sitting in his office, working on papers he was supposed to work like weeks ago but put in on hold. The supernatural world changed over the past few decades; witches perfectly blended with the mundane, vampires decided to live in the shadows of the world, and werewolves shamelessly followed their lead. Only a few of them remained out there, scouting lost souls, giving them another chance to live and survive. Yes, the Fellowship of Ephesus survived over the years and grew bigger and stronger. When Min Yoongi didn’t get a chance to become a member of the Congress, he decided to go the other way around. Along with Kim Namjoon, they worked hard on their fellowship to make it bigger and stronger. And Taemin didn’t like it. 

Not at all. 

But then again, it wasn’t the reason why he was a prisoner of his own working space on this late summer night. Something else brought concerns to his mind and ruined the peace he tried to maintain. 

The mass witch execution that took a place in the late 18th century quickly became a boom in the supernatural world, and there wasn’t a single creature that didn’t talk about the demons and witches, and vampires with werewolves that had been involved in such treason and intrigue fueled chase over the power started by the Old Crone. In the end, Diana was the one who paid the highest price for playing and lying around. The deity had been dead for over two centuries, yet there was another person that brought up the concerns. 

Dye Bennet, the former queen of London’s coven. After the Congress decided on their fate, Dye was taken to Florence where she was locked up in one of the cells in the basement. The witching sleep she suffered from seemed to not go away so easily. 

At least Taemin thought so. 

In the late 19th century, the seemingly weakened witch's body started to give off signs of waking up. The Congress grew more concerned, of course. It's been some time since they took her from London and put her in the cell here, in Florence. Ever since then, Dye reminded more of a mummy than a living and breathing creature that was lost in the depths of her mind. But everything changed in the early 00s when her body started tossing and turning, and she started murmuring something that even Miseo didn't understand. It sounded like a curse in an old language. 

_My dearest friend,_

_I am writing you this letter because I am concerned. The world around us changed - and let's be honest here, none of us like the change. We became an endangered species, the myth that was covering our existence is slowly vanishing. I believe it is in your concern to protect our fellow brothers and sisters as well._

_But that is not why I am writing you this letter. Something strange has happened._

_Dye Bennet is slowly getting conscious. It is important for us to keep her from doing so. Since we are short of members who would understand the situation, I would like to kindly ask you to come to Florence with your inner circle and the witches that joined your fellowship in the late 18th century. You will stay in our residence until this situation is resolved._

_Please, come as soon as you can._

_Lee Taemin, Head of the Congress_

Taemin put the letter in the cream-colored envelope. A few droplets of hot wax fell on the envelope before Taemin used the personal signet. He knew that Yoongi was mostly ignoring the letter from Congress, that’s why Taemin decided to go this way.

He also knew that they were already in the 21st century and sending a mail would be way easier, but this was an old school. And Taemin loved old school no matter what.

“Did you finish the letter?” the soft voice reached his ears. Taemin turned in his seat only to see Miseo standing in the doorframe. Her previously long hair now barely reached her shoulder, making her sharp features even more outstanding. She was concerned, he could tell. The crease formed in between her brows as she came closer to him, putting her delicate hand on his shoulder. “I went downstairs to check on her. She was murmuring something.”

“Did you understand?”

“No. I went through every grimoire in the library, but there is nothing to catch onto. It’s not a spell, not even a prayer. That’s why I am asking, did you finish the letter?”

“The wax is getting colder. I will send it as soon as possible. I know better than anyone that right now, we need the Fellowship of Ephesus. Hopefully, they will have answers to our little problem.”

“What makes you so sure, husband?”

“They have demons. And the First One.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. I made it. We made it. I wrote the first draft of this story in early 2015, for a completely different fandom. Ever since then, the fic fell completely forgotten. Yet, something made me re-plot it, so I started in January. And now, on May 23rd, I'm posting an epilogue. Not gonna lie here, I'm really sad this story is over. The storyline helped me to cope with my bad moods, it helped me to concentrate when I was upset. 
> 
> But I'm not going to be sad now. I finally finished it. I did it. And this way, I want to thank all of you who read this story and left a feedback (and for those who are maybe going to read this story later, someday). Thank you, you are such amazing readers! <3 
> 
> P.S.: Book 2 is coming :)

**Author's Note:**

> So. Hi. Hello. It's me again. I've already written this story back in 2016. And it was really bad. After coming back to it, I decided to give it another shot. And I really like it. I do. I hope you would like it too.
> 
> twitter: @actualsaii


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